Keeping Rodri is central to Maresca's Manchester City plan

Enzo Maresca has returned to Manchester City with a clear brief and an even clearer early priority: keep Rodri. As the club begin life after Pep Guardiola, the new manager's prospects of sustaining City's standards appear closely tied to whether their influential midfielder remains at the Etihad.

Maresca steps into a defining role

Khaldoon al-Mubarak welcomed Maresca back to the club after his appointment last month, entrusting the Italian with one of the most demanding jobs in European football. Maresca knows the environment well after two previous spells at City, including work as Guardiola's assistant during the treble-winning campaign and earlier time with the elite development squad.

That familiarity may help, but replacing a manager who delivered 20 trophies across a decade brings its own pressure. The challenge is not only to maintain City's level, but to do so while navigating uncertainty around one of the squad's most important players.

Why Rodri matters so much

Rodri's importance to City is difficult to overstate. He was central to the club's treble success and scored the winner in the Champions League final against Inter. His presence also underpinned a remarkable 74-game unbeaten run stretching from February 2023 to May 2024.

Guardiola's view of him was unequivocal, describing Rodri as "unbelievable" and "irreplaceable", as well as the best midfielder in the world. That assessment has only been reinforced by the Spaniard's recent achievements on the international stage.

Rodri has just captained Spain to World Cup glory and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. That came after being part of Spain's Euro 2024 triumph and City's Club World Cup success in 2023, collecting individual recognition there too. His ability to dictate matches and impose control was again evident during Spain's run, underlining why City see him as such a foundational figure.

Real Madrid interest clouds the picture

City do not want to sell Rodri and are trying to convince him to accept new terms that have been available for some time. But the situation is not straightforward. Real Madrid are expected to make a move, and there is a sense that Rodri would welcome the chance to play for the Spanish giants.

That makes Maresca's task more complicated. Rodri is contracted until June, and while his recent back surgery is described as relating to a minor issue, there is no certainty over his longer-term future. The desire to broaden his club career, particularly in Spain, means City cannot assume he will stay.

There are also indications that Madrid's internal thinking has shifted. Florentino Pérez is said to be more open to the idea of signing Rodri, with the midfielder's World Cup performances only strengthening his appeal.

City have options, but not Rodri's level

City have moved in the market, investing heavily in Elliot Anderson, while Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi is also mentioned as a possible addition. Yet even with those names, and with players such as Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic and Nico González in the wider midfield picture, the source argument is that none can match Rodri's class or influence.

That is the heart of the issue for Maresca. He arrives with strong credentials, having won the Championship with Leicester in 2024 and then guided Chelsea to a top-four finish, Conference League success and Club World Cup glory. Those achievements convinced City's hierarchy that he is the right man for the post-Guardiola era.

But if Maresca is to give himself the best chance of succeeding, the first major win may need to come before a ball is kicked. Keeping Rodri at Manchester City would not solve every problem, but it would preserve the player around whom so much of the team's authority still revolves.