3 reasons why Rodri would be the perfect signing for Manchester City

#3 He wouldn’t break the bank

At a reported 70m, Rodri wouldn't break the bank for City

Current reports suggest that if Manchester City want to prise Rodri away from Atletico Madrid, they’d probably have to part with a figure somewhere around €70m, assuming that figure is indeed the correct release clause for the player. That sounds like a lot of money, but in today’s world of football – where players are now regularly moving for over £100m – it’s practically a drop in the ocean.

So why is that such good news for a potential move to the Etihad? Well, it’s no secret that City’s financial movements are currently being heavily scrutinised, with UEFA currently investigating them over claims that the club breached Financial Fair Play rules by deliberately inflating the value of a sponsorship deal.

Refusing to spend a lot of money on new players obviously wouldn’t get City off the hook with UEFA, but it would perhaps send the right kind of message out to the rest of Europe’s clubs that City aren’t the “financial dopers” that critics make them out to be.

By signing a player like Rodri – who would essentially come at a cut-price and isn’t a bonafide superstar just yet – rather than someone more high-profile, Pep Guardiola would also gain some ammunition against critics who claim that he can’t succeed without a bottomless pit of cash behind him.

Essentially, City could be getting the best of both worlds in the form of the Atletico midfielder – they’d be picking a potential world-class player up without paying a huge fee for him, and placating the critics of their financial dealings in the same breath.