The Three Lions’ 2-1 defeat by Spain in the European Championship final on Sunday left the English supporters of Manchester City in Berlin disappointed.
Despite starting the match, John Stones, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker were unable to help their team win and win a significant prize for the nation not won since 1996.
On the other hand, Rodri had a fantastic evening. The Cityzens star was crowned Player of the Tournament for his performances throughout the competition and played for his club during the first half of the victory.
The above table shows that the metronomic midfielder, who stood out for his play both in and out of possession, participated in six of their seven games en way to winning the tournament.He was excellent for Spain in the middle of the field, and Pep Guardiola might have found Rodri’s replacement by swooping to sign one of the team’s purported objectives.Interest in Premier League metronome by Man CityAdam Wharton, a centre midfielder for Crystal Palace, was mentioned in the Evening Standard at the beginning of June as a potential long-term target for the Cityzens.According to the outlet, the England international’s performances for the Eagles in the second half of the previous season have led the Premier League champions to believe that he may fit into their lineup in the future.It did add, though, that there are just five years remaining on the former Blackburn Rovers player’s contract at Selhurst Park, so finding a buyer for him will not be simple.
According to The Evening Standard, City may try to sign the English metronome in a later transfer window, but they are not expected to make a move for him in the current summer transfer season.TalkSPORT said this past weekend that Wharton, who has just been with Oliver Glasner’s team for the past six months, is expected to stay with the London-based team ahead of the 2024–2025 campaign.According to the site, Man City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich have all expressed interest in signing the teenage star. This indicates how good he has been this season to draw attention from some of the biggest and greatest teams in Europe.Now that they have the opportunity, City may either decide to change their strategy and target Wharton this summer, or they can wait and let him grow as he plays regular football the next season before drafting him in 2025.Rodri’s approach to the game for Man CityThe 28-year-old player is a complete ace for Guardiola since he is a metronomic midfielder while in control and provides strength off the ball to routinely thwart opposition assaults.In the Premier League the previous season, Rodri was in the top 1% of midfielders for both passes attempted per 90 (112.6) and progressive passes per 90 (11.55).This demonstrates that the former star player for Atletico Madrid is a superb ball passer who is always attempting to intercept passes to control the course of play.
The City star’s progressive passing further demonstrates that he is neither a negative nor a passive passer, as he is constantly searching for a pass that advances his team into dangerous areas so that the attacking players can then unleash their magic in the closing third.Rodri is a terrific player for the Premier League champions when it comes to disrupting play off the ball, in addition to his outstanding effort in control of the ball.
The table above illustrates how the behemoth of the Cityzens won most of his physical duels in the top division, especially in the air, and averaged nearly 10 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries each game.According to these numbers, Rodri is a formidable defensive midfielder who also possesses exceptional dependability and progression while attempting to impact games with the ball.Why Rodri 2.0 may be Adam WhartonWharton is eight years younger than the Spaniard and has the potential to be Guardiola’s long-term successor, so by swooping to recruit him this year or next, he may help uncover England’s next star and his own version of Rodri.Any player, regardless of age, finds it difficult to adjust to playing in Europe’s top league, the Premier League, let alone a 19- or 20-year-old midfielder who was coming up from the Championship when he signed with Palace from Blackburn.Despite having no prior experience at the highest level, the left-footed dynamo showed no signs of slowing down when he came at Selhurst Park during the winter window and instantly made an impact in the top division, appearing like a seasoned professional.
Wharton did not take long to adjust to the physical style of the Premier League, as evidenced by the figure above, where he won most of his physical duels and averaged an impressive 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game, which is 1.4 higher than Rodri.Although he was rated in the bottom 36% for passes attempted per 90 (41.36), the 20-year-old ace was among the top 27% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.48) while in possession.This implies that if Wharton plays for a team like City, where he has more opportunities to get on the ball and play, he might be among the best in the league at moving play along with his passes. Wharton was hailed as “gloriously intelligent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.
Therefore, by playing in a ball-dominant squad that seeks to control games and pass through teams, City and Guardiola could assist the young star in elevating his game.
That could therefore help him, having been an unutilized substitute at the Euros this summer, to break into Gareth Southgate’s team for England in the future by ensuring that he is suited to a team that is competing at the highest level, such as Declan Rice at Arsenal and Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United.
City should rush to sign him from Palace because they can take advantage of his exceptional defensive play, which includes consistently winning the ball back by stopping opposition attacks and assisting him in maximising his skill and intelligence on the ball to develop into a complete midfielder similar to Rodri.
As a result, the Cityzens would have Rodri 2.0 on their roster, and England would have their own Rodri 2.0 to aid them in upcoming competitions, since the intriguing ace still has a lot of growing to do considering his youth.