Manchester City will be looking to improve on a 2023/24 season that brought them just one trophy. Coming off the back of a historic treble campaign in 2022/23, the Cityzens will no doubt have been hoping to go back to back and win a double treble, although it was not to be.
Pep Guardiola’s side did win the Premier League for the fourth consecutive time, setting the record for the most Premier League titles won in a row. However, they were eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage and fell at the final hurdle in the FA Cup, tasting defeat at Wembley against Manchester United.
City bounced back last Saturday, however, and overcame their Wembley demons to beat their bitter cross-city rivals in the Community Shield – winning their first piece of silverware this season. Now, the Cityzens face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for their top-flight opener on Sunday afternoon, looking to get off to the perfect start as they aim for five consecutive league titles.
To help them do so, Guardiola’s side might well dip into the transfer market again before the deadline of the 30th of August. They have recently been linked to one player who could add quality to their side as they push for more silverware.
Man City target La Liga attacker
The player in question here is Real Madrid and Brazil international attacker Rodrygo. The 23-year-old Brazilian impressed last season once again for Los Blancos, but the signing of Kylian Mbappe has thrown his future at the club up in the air.
As reported by Football Transfers earlier this week, the 23-year-old attacker is ‘greatly admired by the City brass’, with the report confirming that talks between the club and the player’s entourage have taken place to sound out a potential move.
In terms of a price, the Brazilian star is valued at an incredible £149.5m. That is a value that would make the 23-year-old City’s most expensive player, obliterating the £100m they spent on Jack Grealish back in the summer of 2021 from Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Why Rodrygo would be a good signing
As you would perhaps expect from a player of Rodrygo’s calibre, he was superb for Los Blancos during their double-winning 2023/24 campaign. He played 51 games in all competitions, scoring 17 goals and grabbing nine assists. It really is no surprise that he was described as one of “the best players in the world” by manager Carlo Ancelotti
That included 15 goals and assists in 35 La Liga games, and eight goals and assists in 13 Champions League games. He made some huge contributions to Carlo Ancelotti’s side as they won both competitions in incredible fashion.
Indeed, the Brazilian could be the replacement for another South American at the Etihad Stadium, Julian Alvarez. The Argentine was a treble-winner with the Cityzens two seasons ago but struggled to start ahead of Erling Haaland in his natural centre-forward role, and has since departed the club for £81.5m to Atletico Madrid.
He was crucial for Guardiola’s side last term, scoring 19 goals and grabbing 13 assists in all competitions. His versatility was also key, and whilst he did not always start at centre-forward, his versatility meant he slotted in out wide and as a number 10, too.
With that being said, City might not have to look any further than Real Madrid’s number 11 if they are eyeing up a perfect versatile replacement for the World Cup Winner. The former Santos attacker has played in five different positions for Madrid and predominantly featured in three of those.
|
Rodrygo stats by position for Real Madrid |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Right-winger |
111 |
26 |
26 |
|
Centre-forward |
65 |
22 |
8 |
|
Left-winger |
30 |
6 |
6 |
|
Second striker |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Attacking midfielder |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
|||
This deal would be ridiculously expensive for the Cityzens to get over the line, a record-breaking addition to their squad. Not only is the fee extortionate, but his wages would be, too. The Brazilian currently earns £205k-per-week at the Santiago Bernabeu as per Capology. However, Rodrygo possesses supreme quality; he is a superb link-up player, quick and direct on the ball and a good finisher.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called the 23-year-old a “future icon”, and he could be just that in the sky blue of City if he joined. Alvarez is a tough player to replace, but the Cityzens may well have their answer in the form of Rodrygo, who could be the man to help them win a treble once again.
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