It was disappointment for Manchester City's English contingent in Berlin on Sunday as the Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the European Championship final.
John Stones, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker all started the game but were unable to help their side come away with the win to secure a first major trophy for the country since 1996.
However, Rodri enjoyed a great evening as the Cityzens star played the first half of the win for his team and was named the Player of the Tournament for his efforts throughout the competition.
Appearances
6
Sofascore rating
7.25
Pass accuracy
93%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.4
Ball recoveries per game
6.8
Duel success rate
56%
As you can see in the table above, the metronomic midfielder played in six of their seven games on the route to winning the tournament and caught the eye with his play in and out of possession.
He was outstanding in the middle of the park for Spain and Pep Guardiola could find his next version of Rodri by swooping to sign one of the club's reported targets.
Man City's interest in Premier League metronome
At the start of June, the Evening Standard reported that Crystal Palace central midfielder Adam Wharton has emerged as a long-term target for the Cityzens.
The outlet claimed that the Premier League champions have identified the England international as someone who could fit into their side in the future, following his performances for the Eagles in the second half of last term.
It added, however, that the former Blackburn Rovers star has five years left to run on his contract at Selhurst Park and it will, therefore, not be easy to secure a deal for his services.
The Evening Standard also stated that City are unlikely to pursue a swoop for the English metronome in the current summer transfer window, but could look to sign him in a future one.
This weekend, talkSPORT reported that Wharton is poised to remain with the London-based outfit ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, having only spent the last six months with Oliver Glasner's side.
The outlet added that Man City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich have all been credited with an interest in the young sensation, which speaks to how impressive he has been this year to catch the eye of some of Europe's best and biggest clubs.
City could now find their next Rodri by either changing their mind and swooping for Wharton this summer, or allowing him to develop whilst playing regular football next season and then snapping him up in 2025.
Rodri's style of play for Man City
The 28-year-old star is a metronomic midfielder in possession who also offers strength off the ball to consistently cut out opposition attacks, which makes him a complete ace for Guardiola.
Rodri ranked within the top 1% of midfielders in the Premier League last season for passes attempted per 90 (112.26) and for progressive passes per 90 (11.55).
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
This shows that the former Atletico Madrid gem is an exceptional passer of the ball who is constantly looking to take on passes to dictate the flow of games.
Rodri's statistics from Euro 2024
His progressive passing also shows that he is not a negative or passive passer as the City star is always looking for a pass that takes his team further up the pitch and into dangerous areas for the attacking players to then work their magic in the final third.
Alongside his fantastic work in possession of the ball for the Premier League champions, Rodri is also a monster off the ball when it comes to breaking up play.
Appearances
34
Sofascore rating
8.01
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
6.9
Ground duel success rate
56%
Aerial duel success rate
71%
As you can see in the table above, the Cityzens titan won the majority of his physical duels in the top-flight, particularly in the air, and made almost ten tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game on average.
These statistics show that Rodri is a dominant defensive midfielder who is also incredibly reliable and progressive in possession when trying to influence matches on the ball.
Why Adam Wharton could be Rodri 2.0
Guardiola could now help to unearth England's next star and his next version of Rodri by swooping to sign Wharton, whether that is this year or next year, as he is eight years younger than the Spaniard and could be his long-term heir.
Adapting to playing in the Premier League, one of Europe's major leagues, is a tough ask for any player at any age, let alone a 19/20-year-old midfielder who was coming up from the Championship when Palace signed him from Blackburn.
The left-footed dynamo arrived at Selhurst Park in the winter window and immediately hit the ground running in the top-flight, looking like a seasoned professional in spite of his complete lack of experience at the elite level.
Appearances
16
Sofascore rating
7.09
Tackles + interceptions per game
4.3
Ball recoveries per game
4.8
Ground duel success rate
57%
As you can see in the table above, Wharton did not take any time to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League as he won the majority of his physical duels and made an eye-catching 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game – 1.4 more per match than Rodri.
In possession, the 20-year-old ace ranked within the top 27% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.48), despite only ranking within the bottom 36% for passes attempted per 90 (41.36).
This suggests that Wharton, who was described as "gloriously intelligent" on the ball by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could be among the best in the league at progressing play with his passes if he is in a team, like City's, where he has more opportunities to get on the ball and play.
Therefore, City and Guardiola could help the young star to take his game to the next level by playing in a ball-dominant side that wants to control games and pass through teams.
That could, then, help him to break into Gareth Southgate's team in the future for England, after he was an unused substitute at the Euros this summer, by making sure that he is suited to a side that is competing at the very top level – like Declan Rice at Arsenal and Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United.
City could look to utilise his outstanding defensive work, winning the ball back consistently by breaking up opposition attacks, whilst helping him to maximise his quality and intelligence on the ball to develop into a complete midfielder – like Rodri – and that is why they should swoop to sign him from Palace.
This would then result in the Cityzens having Rodri 2.0 on their books and England potentially having their own version of the Spain international to help them in future tournaments, as the exciting ace still has plenty of development to go through given his young age.
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