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News
- 27 minutes ago
Guardiola finds ‘ideal’ partner for Haaland
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 1 Oct 2025 06:40 CDT
- 4 min read
News
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has found his “ideal” partner for Erling Haaland and is ready to make a blockbuster move to secure a forward who could change the fortunes of the Etihad club.
Although Haaland has remained prolific this season, City’s overall performances remain unconvincing. They lie only seventh in the Premier League after three wins from their first six games.
When things have gone well, City have looked formidable, but when it’s not clicked for them, they have failed to grind out results.
Current ETV
Erling Haaland
F (C)
Man City
Erling Haaland
F (C)
Man City
ETV Range
€168.1M - €205.4M
Man City ‘back in the hunt’ for Rodrygo
Guardiola is now ready to get “back in the hunt” for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who is considered to be a star who can help them elevate their game in these tight situations.
During the summer, City had considered signing the Brazil winger as a replacement for Savinho, who was closely associated with a move to Tottenham.
With Savinho signing a new contract with Man City – something that is not official but which Guardiola has all-but confirmed – it was expected that links with Rodrygo would end.
But this does not appear to be the case, with Fichajes reporting renewed interest in the Brazilian.
Rodrygo is said to be unhappy with his status in the Real Madrid squad. Instead of being pushed to the periphery by Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, though, it is up-and-coming stars Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono who have really squeezed his game time.
He has started only one La Liga match this season and was on the bench for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Kairat Almaty.
Unsettled during the Club World Cup, when he was similarly peripheral, Rodrygo has decided that he wants a “new challenge”.
Rodrygo: A bargain transfer?
Guardiola is ready to swoop after a deal last summer failed to come to fruition.
Man City were unwilling to match Real Madrid’s €90m asking price in the summer, but the Spaniards are said to be ready to slash their demands ahead of the January transfer window.
City clearly see this as an opportunity. Rodrygo has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €104 million so would come relatively cheap.
Furthermore, Guardiola is said to see Rodrygo as an “ideal” partner for Erling Haaland, who already has nine goals across seven games this season. He believes that the combination of speed, balance and scoring power will add another dimension to City’s attacking play – something that has been lacking at the start of the campaign.
While Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso wants to keep Rodrygo, he is equally ready to put his faith in the club’s rising stars, fuelling the attacker’s desire to leave and opening up the possibility of a switch to Man City.
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