- Man City managers want to tie star player to new contract
- Rodri could double his salary – and stay at the Etihad in his prime
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Manchester City are preparing to offer star player Rodri a new contract that will see him double his pay, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium during his prime.
The Premier League champions regard the midfielder as one of their most influential players and are preparing to reward him with a pay rise that would reportedly take him to £375,000-a-week.
The Mirror have reported that the deal would put him on par with City’s highest-earning players, such as Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.
City have been quiet so far this transfer window, but it is clear that securing a new contract for their midfielder was their top priority.
At 28, Rodri is reaching the peak years of his career and manager Pep Guardiola is understood to be willing to shape his midfield around the player.
Manchester City are set to offer star midfielder Rodri (right) a new contract
Manchester City will have to adjust to playing without key player Rodri on Sunday afternoon
The Spanish midfielder has three years left on his contract, but recently admitted that some Real Madrid players have launched a charm offensive to bring him to the capital.
However, Rodri will not feature in City’s opening game of the season.
The 28-year-old suffered a thigh injury during Spain’s Euro 2016 final win over England after a collision with former City defender Aymeric Laporte. Although Guardiola said Rodri was feeling fine, they have given him extra rest over the summer.
Rodri only returned to the club on Wednesday, where he completed pre-season testing.
“He hasn’t trained and I haven’t seen him yet,” Guardiola said.
“I think he feels good. But we have to start training and then we’ll see how he moves and how he feels.”
Guardiola insisted there was “no chance” of Rodri travelling to Stamford Bridge after Mateo Kovacic and teenager Nico O’Reilly played in midfield against United in the Community Shield.
Rodri has played a pivotal role in City’s success in recent seasons and has only increased in stature since joining the Blues in 2019.
