An Etihad earthquake: how Manchester City are rebuilding their tactical identity after Rodri and Guardiola

Manchester City are going through one of the deepest and most dramatic transitions in their modern history. In an extraordinary summer, the club has had to deal not only with the challenge of replacing Pep Guardiola, but also with the departure of the player who anchored the entire midfield structure: 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who has moved to Barcelona.

The change arrives during a wider tactical upheaval in the 2026/27 Premier League, with close to half the clubs beginning the season under new managers. As Enzo Maresca starts his era, City have been forced into an aggressive rebuild that pushes spending beyond £300 million in an attempt to reconstruct the midfield almost from scratch.

The end of a golden era

After seven remarkable seasons in Manchester, Rodri returned to Spain when City accepted Barcelona's third and final offer, worth £65.4 million.

With only one year remaining on his contract and having rejected City's attempts to extend it, Rodri chose Hansi Flick's Barcelona project. He left City after 298 appearances and 12 major trophies, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the 2023 Champions League, when he scored the historic winning goal against Inter.

After arriving in Catalonia for his medical, Rodri described the move as a dream and spoke about his excitement at joining teammates he already knew from the Spanish national side. He also made clear that Barcelona's ambition was to compete for the Champions League and every available trophy.

His departure is bigger than the loss of one elite midfielder. It symbolises the break-up of City's historic leadership core. John Stones and Bernardo Silva also left at the end of their contracts, following earlier departures including Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan and Ederson, while Manuel Akanji, Nathan Aké and James Trafford were also part of the wider turnover.

The first warning: the Community Shield exposed Maresca's problems

The tactical and leadership void became clear immediately. In Maresca's first competitive match as manager, City suffered a worrying 3-0 defeat to champions Arsenal in the Community Shield.

In his analysis for The Guardian, Jonathan Wilson argued that City looked disorganised, lacking both attacking bite and defensive structure.

The right side was a particular problem. New signing Elliot Anderson, operating to the right of the double pivot, struggled to control Riccardo Calafiori, who scored the first goal and played an important role in Arsenal's third. The second goal also exposed poor marking and positioning, giving Martin Ødegaard time to deliver for Kai Havertz, who escaped Rúben Dias.

The match underlined how the current midfield pairing of Mateo Kovačić, now 32, and Anderson still lacks the chemistry and authority required to control games.

Maresca admitted after the match that City knew what needed to be done and would be extremely busy in the transfer market. He also stressed the obvious scale of replacing Rodri: a World Cup winner, Ballon d'Or holder and player any team would want.

City's transfer response: an all-out midfield rebuild

With the structure under threat, City's recruitment strategy has focused on elite midfielders capable of carrying the tactical load. The plan has centred on major deals to replace Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders, who is also linked with a £51 million move to Al-Qadsiah.

Ayyoub Bouaddi: Lille's jewel and the long-term future

The 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is presented as City's first-choice long-term successor to Rodri at defensive midfield.

• Current situation: reports cited from BBC Sport describe City as being in highly advanced talks with Lille.
• Price and conditions: Lille value him at around £85 million. A major obstacle has been Lille's desire to keep him on loan for another 12 months, something Maresca has resisted because he wants the player immediately. Bouaddi's appeal lies in unusual tactical maturity, ball-winning ability and control of tempo. He has already made 88 Lille appearances and played an important role for Morocco at the latest World Cup.

Enzo Fernández: Maresca's preferred midfield reunion

Maresca is also pushing to reunite with Argentina World Cup winner Enzo Fernández from Chelsea.

• Coaching relationship: Maresca previously worked with Fernández at Stamford Bridge and helped develop his game, including his attacking contribution.
• Negotiations: City are described as having made an opening verbal proposal of £115 million. Chelsea publicly maintained that Enzo was not for sale and reportedly wanted a formal £120 million offer by a deadline, but the article expects talks to continue.
• Supporter pressure: Fernández has also faced sections of Chelsea support booing him, including during the Real Sociedad friendly, which could influence his future.

Elliot Anderson: the £116 million bet

City had already broken their own transfer record to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million as an important piece of the new midfield. His Arsenal debut was difficult, but the club's long-term investment in him remains enormous.

Is City's golden era over?

Manchester City are clearly at a dangerous turning point. Losing Guardiola, Rodri, Stones and Bernardo Silva at the same time removes a huge amount of tactical knowledge, leadership and mental stability from the team.

Maresca's success may depend on whether City can complete the huge midfield deals before the transfer window closes on 1 September and then integrate the new players quickly enough to avoid dropping points early. If they cannot, a settled Arsenal side could build a lead before City's new structure is ready.