Rodri has revealed what player he would like Manchester City to sign – and it may come as a surprise.
Rodri, 28, has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal on September 22.
His absence has coincided with Pep Guardiola’s side hitting a torrid patch of form, with the Sky Blues currently without a win in seven matches - six of the seven were defeats.
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However, from a personal perspective, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or in October despite Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr being many people’s favourite ahead of the ceremony in Paris.
According to Sport Witness, the Spaniard returned to Spain for a ceremony on Monday evening to receive an award from the Spanish newspaper AS.
The City man linked up with Nico Williams via a video call and national team boss Luis de La Fuente when collecting the award.
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When asked by the host if we would “take Williams” to Man City tomorrow, Rodri replied: “Yes, yes.
“Right now, if I was taking him, I would also be taking him to teach him a little bit about the cold in England, although it’s similar to Bilbao.
“But yes, I would take him with me without a doubt.”
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Of course, the pair both played an integral part in Spain’s Euro’s success, with Williams, 22, opening the scoring in the final against England to take his goals tally to two for the tournament, having impressed all summer.
As expected, Williams attracted interest from several top European clubs after the tournament but remained at Athletic Club, who currently sit fourth in La Liga.
The winger has not hit the heights some may have expected of him this term, registering just three assists and one goal in 13 La Liga appearances for the Basque side.
However, his potential is there for all to see.
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Whether City are interested in signing the player is unclear, but The Athletic’s David Ornstein issued an update on Williams’ future on Tuesday.
The report explained how Barcelona’s interest has cooled – given the performances of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha – which “increases the chances” of a Premier League side pursuing Williams.
The article also suggested that there is a release clause of “around €55million (£46m),” with Athletic only willing to sell if this number is met.
The player would “prefer” not to move in January, but Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all admire the player.
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Williams’ current contract is set to run until the summer of 2027.
Topics: Manchester City, Premier League, Rodri, La Liga
Luke Davies