Anders Limpar, a former Arsenal player, believes that Manchester City will miss out on the UEFA Champions League next season if they part ways with Rodri this summer.
On Thursday, discussions about Rodri intensified as Barcelona showed interest in intervening in Real Madrid’s potential deal. Rodri is reportedly nearing a move to the La Liga champions, having agreed on contract terms, with both clubs negotiating a proposed £43 million fee.
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In an interview with SveaCasino, Limpar criticized Manchester City for considering the sale of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award winner. He commented (h/t Metro):
“If Manchester City sell Rodri, they are shooting themselves in the foot because he cannot be replaced. We said the same about David Silva but they did replace him and brought in a couple of good players, like Bernardo Silva, but it’s even harder to replace Rodri now. He’s a Ballon d’Or winner because of how good he is in his role. Who are you going to replace him with?”
Limpar, who played for Arsenal from 1990 to 1994, further stated:
“City have to be very, very careful here or they can become a mediocre team that struggles to finish sixth or seventh even with Erling Haaland because Rodri is the machine. He’s the engine in that midfield. It would be the best signing of the summer for Arsenal if Rodri goes to Barcelona or Real Madrid.”
With Rodri seemingly on his way back to La Liga, Manchester City are reportedly interested in acquiring Morocco and Lille talent Ayyoub Bouaddi. Enzo Maresca’s team is said to be nearing an agreement with Lille for the 18-year-old midfielder, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano’s latest update.
Anders Limpar urges Bayern Munich to target Manchester City’s star in future
In discussions about who should replace Harry Kane at Bayern Munich, Anders Limpar identified Manchester City’s Erling Haaland as the obvious choice. He stated (h/t Metro):
“He must be their number one target because Kane and Haaland are the two greatest goalscorers in the world, so if you have to try and replace Kane you can only do it by signing Haaland. Otherwise you won’t be signing a true replacement.”
Since his departure from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, Haaland has claimed three Premier League Golden Boot awards. The 26-year-old striker has amassed an impressive 162 goals and provided 29 assists in 198 games for his current club.
Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee
