Pep Guardiola fighting Real Madrid and Barcelona for Ballon d’Or winner

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is battling to secure the future of Rodri in the face of increasing pressure from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

After last term was a virtual write-off for the Spaniard following an ACL injury, the 29-year-old is back to fitness and completed the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Out of contract at City in 2027, Guardiola is not certain of retaining the midfielder beyond this summer, but he is certainly determined to retain the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.

“I would love that desperately,” Guardiola told the media last week when asked if he wants Rodri to commit himself to the club.

“Rodri is Rodri. As much age as he has, wiser, more understanding of the game.

“There are players that are defined on the big stages, in the difficulties, and Rodri’s one of them, like Bernie, like Ruben Dias, like many of them that I had in the past. You cannot achieve what we achieved if you don’t have huge personalities.”

Rodri’s future tied to Pep?

While Guardiola is eager for Rodri to commit his future to Manchester City, Bild reports that the future of the Spain ace could well be tied to that of his manager.

Pep is under contract with the Premier League giants until 2027 but rumours continue to build that he will leave at the end of the season.

In this scenario, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are waiting to profit by signing Rodri in the summer.

Despite his injury issues, he still commands an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €96 million, so would not be sold cheaply.

Analysis: What should Rodri do?

Rodri should stay at City if he wants to get the most from his footballing ability before the end of his career, according to SciSports’ Career Advice tool. This gives each team a Club Fit score based on a variety of factors, from development and playing time to style and formation.

City come out with a massive score of 89. They are seen as Rodri’s best option, comfortably ahead of PSG on 81.

Real Madrid, though, score a very impressive 80 if Rodri is desperate to return to Spain while Barcelona’s 75 is still a strong result. The concern at Camp Nou, though, is that Hansi Flick already has several players who can play a similar role.

It’s also worth remembering, too, that City’s score is driven up by Guardiola’s philosophy, so once the coach goes, this score is likely to drop.

Related stories:

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Former Man City stars urge Bernardo Silva to abandon Pep Guardiola

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