Who could fill the Rodri-shaped gap at Manchester City?

The big-money buy 

The headline act in Manchester City's summer spending is the club record purchase of Elliot Anderson, who has arrived in a mega £166m deal from Nottingham Forest. 

Anderson's rapid rise over the last 18 months has seen him become one of the Premier League's best midfielders and a first-choice for Thomas Tuchel's England team. But he offers a different kind of profile to that of Rodri. 

The initial idea would have been to play the pair together in Maresca's favoured 3-2-2-3 formation when his teams have the ball, then switching to a 4-4-2 when defending. 

This would allow Rodri to continue what he has been doing for club and country, by controlling the tempo, protecting his defence and dictating what's in front of him. It would also also Anderson to move into his more dynamic box-to-box role, where his ball-carrying and linking the lines would help knit the team up the pitch. 

Anderson wasn't bought as a replacement for Rodri, but rather to complement him and, to a degree, replace what the team lost with Silva. That's not to say the England man couldn't move into that gap if need be, but you may arguably lose some of the more attacking attributes from his game. 

The players to step up 

What is often overlooked is that there are still plenty of options already at the club who could fill the void Rodri looks set to leave behind. 

Matteo Kovacic may not be the glamorous option, but he's proved before he can deputise for the Spanish star, and if he can keep fit, could still take on that job full-time. 

If not, there's Tijjani Reijnders, who started like a house on fire upon his arrival at the club before his form started to fizzle out. A step-up as a full-time replacement for their former skipper could yet be the making of him, and he offers some of the similar attributes that Rodri has. 

Or could Nico Gonzalez, a player who's struggled to find a place in the first team on a consistent basis, show he has the credentials to follow in the footsteps of his countryman? 

James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images

A new face 

Most City fans, though, would probably prefer to see a new face in their midfield if, indeed, it is the end of Rodri's story at the club. 

Not only does it freshen up a side who are looking to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League title, but it also keeps the narrative the same as they move into the post-Guardiola era.

The one name that continues to be linked with a move to Manchester is that of Ayyoub Bouaddi, who impressed with Morocco during this summer's World Cup. 

Having bossed the middle of the park against a seasoned pro like Casemiro during the Africans' opening games, and at only 18, he shows no fear and has a style that is most akin to that of Rodri. 
 

Getty

However, as good as the teenager has looked, it would be a massive ask for him to fill the boots of such an iconic figure so early in his career. 

Yet, a midfield of Bouaddi and Anderson does have an exciting look of a 'new generation' and one that would be supported by some seasoned cast members around them. 

Will it be enough to compensate for the loss of Spain's World Cup-winning captain? Right now, possibly not, but it's a scenario that Maresca and City will need to find the best answer to. 

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