Manchester City are considering two main midfield targets as they weigh up whether or not to sign cover for the injured Rodri this January, with sources informing CaughtOffside that Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace and Atalanta’s Ederson are the main names they’re following.
Rodri is expected to miss the rest of the season, and although City won’t necessarily panic and rush into the market for a replacement, they have stepped up their efforts to monitor Ederson in particular, sending scouts to Atalanta games to keep an eye on his performances.
The Brazilian has been hugely impressive with the Serie A giants, playing a key role in their Europa League triumph last season, and it’s easy to imagine him being a good fit for Pep Guardiola’s side in an important position.
Rodri will no doubt be missed while he’s out, even if City have other excellent options in their squad, with the Spain international widely considered to be the best in the world in his position and arguably City’s most important player.
Wharton or Ederson to replace Rodri at City?
Wharton is another player City like, and it could be that that will be a blow for Liverpool, who also have a long-standing interest in him, CaughtOffside understands.
Wharton made it into the England squad at Euro 2024 this summer after a superb start to life at Palace, and it’s easy to imagine him soon making the step up to a bigger club.
The Reds would no doubt do well to bring the 20-year-old in in the near future, with Martin Zubimendi also another similar style of midfielder they’ve been keen on, though he rejected them to stay at Real Sociedad this summer.
It will be interesting to see how the Rodri situation impacts Wharton’s future, as one imagines it could mean City become more serious suitors for him this winter if a deal cannot be done for Ederson.
At the moment it’s understood that Ederson would be City’s preference, but it remains to be seen if Atalanta will sell another important player in the middle of the season after losing Teun Koopmeiners to Juventus in the summer.
