The news that Manchester City supporters were dreading has now been confirmed. Star midfielder Rodri has suffered knee ligament damage and Pep Guardiola now has a significant problem to deal with.
Rodri sustained his injury during the first half of last weekend's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League, following an innocuous coming-together with Thomas Partey at a corner.
The Citizens have revealed that "assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis," but it has been reported that Rodri could be ruled out for the rest of the season, while Guardiola revealed on Tuesday that the Spaniard requires surgery and will be out for "a long, long time".
Rodri has been labelled by Guardiola as "the best holding midfielder in the world" and has been a hugely influential figure in a Man City side that have won 11 trophies since he joined the club in 2019, including four consecutive Premier League titles and one Champions League.
In the short term, Guardiola is set to call upon the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Matheus Nunes, Rico Lewis and John Stones to share midfield duties in a deeper role.
However, Man City could be forced to enter the January transfer window to recruit a new holding midfielder - a position they explored the possibility of strengthening in the summer before opting to keep their cash in their pockets.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at five players who Man City could look to sign in the January transfer window to replace Rodri.
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
One name who was continuously linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium in the summer was Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes, but his £100m release clause - which has since expired - allegedly put the Citizens off signing the Brazil international.
The 26-year-old may not have had the strongest of starts to the new campaign, but he has established himself as an integrual first-team player under Eddie Howe since joining the club from Lyon in January 2022.
Adored by the Toon Army, Guimaraes has contributed with 17 goals and 17 assists in 113 appearances as a deep-lying midfielder for Newcastle across all competitions, and he helped the Magpies qualify for the Champions League two seasons ago courtesy of a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Should Guardiola be gifted with a £300m warchest, as previously reported, a significant chunk of that could be put towards signing a player like Guimaraes, who Newcastle would certainly not want to let go on the cheap, especially with just under four years still remaining on his contract.
Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
This time last year, Adam Wharton was plying his trade at Championship club Blackburn Rovers, but he is now strutting his stuff in the top flight with Crystal Palace where he has enjoyed a rapid rise under the tutelage of Oliver Glasner.
The 20-year-old quickly cemented his place in the Eagles XI in the second half of last season, making 16 appearances, and he played a key role in helping the club both avoid a relegation battle and finish in the top 10.
Wharton was rewarded with an England call-up for Euro 2024 in the summer and has since started all five of Palace's Premier League games this term, although Eagles fans will fear the prospect of top European clubs battling for his signature in the near future.
Indeed, Man City were allegedly one of a number of clubs including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich who were keepings tabs on Wharton in the summer, and it has since been reported that the Citizens have earmarked the young midfielder as an ideal signing in 2025, but they may have to fend off competition from Liverpool for his services.
Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
Could Man City replace Rodri with one of his Spanish compatriots? When the La Roja star was taken off with a hamstring injury in the Euro 2024 final against England, Martin Zubimendi came on as his replacement and produced a controlled midfield display en route to continental glory.
The 25-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best holding midfielders in La Liga and although he was the subject of much speculation in the summer, he opted to stay put at boyhood club Real Sociedad, where he has made 195 appearances since and including his senior debut in 2019.
However, it has been reported that Zubimendi now regrets turning down the opportunity to join Liverpool, who were strongly linked with the midfielder, while Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have also been credited with an interest.
It would not come as too much of a surprise if Man City were to become the next club to join the race for Zubimendi, who is understood to have a €60m (£50.9m) release clause in his contract, and the opportunity for him to work under Guardiola - a fellow holding midfielder in his playing days - may be considered too good to turn down.
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
Frenkie de Jong is known to have been admired by Erik ten Hag's Manchester United for some time, but he has also been linked with a big-money move to the blue side of Manchester in the past.
The 27-year-old is understood to have had reservations over joining the Red Devils and is currently happy at Camp Nou, where he has made 213 appearances in all competitions since making the move from Ajax in 2019, chipping in with 17 goals and 21 assists.
However, De Jong could allegedly be persuaded to join Man City as he is 'attracted' by the thought of playing for Guardiola and was said to be interested in moving to the Etihad in the summer.
De Jong's injury record could be a concern for City, but he is still widely revered as one of the top deep-lying midfielders in Europe and Barcelona's financial predicament could help in the Citizens' quest to recruit the Netherlands international.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
The long-term future of Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich is believed to be uncertain as his contract at the Allianz Arena is due to expire in the summer of 2025.
Guardiola, who worked with Kimmich during his three-year spell in charge at Bayern, is allegedly determined to sign both the German and his compatriot Jamal Musiala next summer, but the Citizens may now plan to step up their pursuit of the former in January.
Kimmich, who is comfortable operating as a defensive midfielder or a right-back, was tipped to leave Bayern in the summer in search of a fresh challenge having spent the last nine seasons in Bavaria, recording 42 goals and 106 assists in 396 appearances.
The eight-time Bundesliga winner has also been linked with Liverpool and Barcelona, although he has hinted at the possibility of extending his stay at Bayern, who are determined to keep hold of the 29-year-old.
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