Could a Serie A midfielder help solve City’s Rodri issue?

Manchester City began life without Rodri for the remainder of the 24/25 season with a 1-all draw with Newcastle. At times Pep Guardiola’s side looked lethargic in midfield as Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis and Ilkay Gundogan were tasked with replacing City’s midfield general. It does appear that City may need to buy another midfielder in January. With this in mind, the champions have recently been linked with a Serie A midfielder who could strengthen their midfield. But could Samuele Ricci be the player to help City’s midfield? That appears to be the bigger question.

Jamie Jackson and Ron Draper have reported for the Irish Times that Manchester City are weighing up a move for Serie A midfielder Samuele Ricci. Furthermore, Jackson and Draper report that Ricci is high on City’s list of potential midfield targets. They further report that Torino would expect a fee of around £30 million to sell one of their key players.

Samuele Ricci is a midfielder with a vast array of skills. Based on his performances for Torino and Italy his playmaking and passing ability stands out. Ricci is also a versatile player who can play in a variety of roles in midfield. He is also strong in a challenge and has the size required to thrive in the Premier League. Based on this early assessment of Ricci as a player, he could become a player Manchester City target in the January transfer window.

What Manchester City won’t find in January is a like-for-like replacement for Rodri. That player doesn’t exist. What they will likely need to find in January is a midfielder who compliments the current City squad. On closer inspection Samuele Ricci could be that type of a player. Whether or not City do move for the Serie A midfielder remains to be seen. But he does potentially loom as a player who immediately slot into City’s midfield in January.