Redaction Simon Brett with Srinivas Sadhanand
Published on 2024-01-30 13:00:00
Paul Merson has praised Rodri, calling him the best defensive midfielder in the world and crowning him as the best in the business. His claim is backed by several other footballing professionals, including Ruben Dias and Dean Saunders.
Dias pointed out that Rodri is unique in combining both defensive and possession skills, while Saunders included him in his Premier League Team of The Season, commending his phenomenal performance throughout the season.
In addition, Paul Dickov went as far as to say that Rodri has set the bar higher than a Manchester City legend like Fernandinho ever had.
Rodri’s importance is evident in Manchester City’s gameplay as well. Liverpool right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold, noted that the team is not the same without the Spanish midfielder.
Rodri has been hailed by Merson as a player who keeps the game going with no excitement but is undoubtedly the best in the world at his position.
“There’s other players like your Rodri’s, who are going to be sitting there, who are just going to keep it ticking over, no spills or thrills, get the ball, roll it, play it. For me, he’s the best in the world at doing that so even though he’s not a maverick, he’s still the best in the world at playing his position”, he said on the Football’s Greatest podcast with Jeff Stelling.
Despite Rodri’s significance, it is surprising that Manchester City have not given priority to signing a backup for him during the January transfer window.
As Merson rightly mentioned, Rodri is indispensable to City, yet so far, they have not taken steps to bring in an alternative defensive midfielder.
The question remains whether they will make a late move for a midfield target or choose to recruit an understudy for Rodri in the summer.
The 27-year-old has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the footballing community with his exceptional skills in both defense and possession.
Considering his contributions and abilities, it will be interesting to see how Manchester City approaches the question of providing additional support for their star player.
Read Original article on Manchester City News
