Man City transfer news: Premier League Rodri 'replacement' identified as £35m midfielder assessed for Enzo Maresca's squad

Manchester City have explored a move for Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in their search for a Rodri replacement, the latest report has claimed.

The Premier League is set to begin later this month, but City have not yet had the chance to field a full-strength XI in pre-season.

Boss Enzo Maresca welcomed back six players to training on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's Community Shield, including Marc Guehi, though midfielder Rodri was not among that contingent.

The 30-year-old has been consistently linked with a move to Barcelona, and the potential exit of the Ballon d'Or winner would leave a sizeable hole in the squad.

BBC Sport report that City have explored a move for Liverpool's Mac Allister, who was signed for £35m in 2023 from Brighton & Hove Albion, though he is one of a number of options alongside the likes of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Alex Scott and Enzo Fernandez.

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Alexis Mac Allister to Manchester City: Liverpool midfielder assessed

There is no doubt that Mac Allister endured his worst season in England in 2025-26, with the Argentine struggling physically, while his quality on the ball rarely shined.

However, it should be noted that Arne Slot's infamously lax approach to training played a key role in Liverpool being exploited defensively all season, and fellow midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was arguably just as poor without the ball.

At his best, Mac Allister is one of the division's most rounded talents in the middle, capable of contributing in the final third by crashing the box and providing assists, while he has also shown his ability to fulfil his defensive duties.

The 27-year-old only has two years left on his contract, so it would not be surprising if Liverpool were somewhat open to a sale at the right price.

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Should Enzo Maresca sign Mac Allister to replace Rodri?

During his time at Anfield, Mac Allister has at times been labelled a controller by fans, with Rodri given a similar label at City, but the Liverpool star is not as adept at dictating the tempo of a match.

If Maresca wanted to play the Argentine at the base of midfield and allow Anderson to play a more box-to-box role, then City may experience issues when trying to safely progress from their own half.

Bouaddi does not excel in that area either, though given the uniqueness of Rodri, perhaps Maresca will have to accept that he will not be able to control matches in the same way that Pep Guardiola did.