Manchester City’s Search for Rodri Replacement: Alexis Mac Allister on the Radar

Manchester City are already living in a world without Rodri. At least in their heads.

With the Spaniard closing in on a move to Barcelona, City’s recruitment machine has swung into full damage‑limitation mode, and a surprise name has surfaced on their shortlist: Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister.

Rodri’s shadow over Maresca’s new era

Rodri has been the metronome, the safety net, the man who turned chaos into control. Losing him is not just a tactical tweak for Enzo Maresca; it is a structural shock.

City are braced for the inevitable. A deal worth around £55 million is understood to be in its advanced stages, with the World Cup winner preparing to swap the Etihad for Camp Nou in the coming days. For a new manager trying to stamp his identity on a title-winning squad, it is the kind of early test that can define a tenure.

The response has been aggressive. Elliot Anderson arrived for £116m early in the window, a bold statement of faith in youth and potential. Talks with Lille for highly rated teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi are progressing, with personal terms already agreed. The club clearly see the Moroccan as part of their long-term midfield core.

Yet inside the building, there is a clear acceptance: talent alone is not enough. Not when Rodri walks out of the door.

Mac Allister on the radar

That is where Mac Allister enters the conversation.

According to talkSPORT, City have discussed the Argentine internally as they search for someone who can step straight into the Premier League intensity and handle the positional discipline Maresca demands. At 25, with a World Cup medal and a league title on his CV, he ticks obvious boxes.

Transfer reporter Ben Jacobs lifted the lid on those early-stage conversations.

“I know internally Alexis McAllister has been mentioned, but there's been no contact yet, or developments with Liverpool. So that's just more part of a shortlisting process than anything to get excited about,” he told talkSPORT.

For now, then, Mac Allister is an idea, not a negotiation.

He is entering the final two years of his Liverpool contract, a point in any player’s cycle that tends to sharpen interest from rivals. Since joining from Brighton in 2023, he has been a regular in the Liverpool XI, even as the team’s form lurched from title winners in 2024/25 to a disappointing fifth-place finish last season.

His performances reflected that turbulence. There were spells when he looked like the brains of Liverpool’s midfield, dictating tempo and knitting together Jurgen Klopp’s final evolution and its successor. There were also periods when criticism grew, with calls for him to be dropped as the Reds’ campaign unravelled.

Yet inside recruitment departments across the league, the view has remained consistent: tactically, he is elite. His reading of space, his press resistance, his ability to operate as a deeper pivot or a more advanced connector make him an attractive proposition for any possession-heavy side.

For City, that profile is gold dust.

Maresca’s wish list and City’s reality

Mac Allister is not the only name in the frame.

Jacobs has reported that Maresca is a long-standing admirer of Enzo Fernandez, whom he worked with at Chelsea. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is another midfielder being spoken about in the corridors of power at the Etihad.

“Some people have mentioned Adam Wharton to me as well. So possibly in a perfect world, if Maresca had his say, he might choose to move for Enzo Fernandez. We can't entirely discount it, but the price is a massive stumbling block. And at the moment, City's focus is on trying to get Bouaddi over the line,” Jacobs added.

That line says plenty. City are juggling timelines: secure the next generation with Bouaddi, keep an eye on the dream targets in Fernandez and Wharton, and assess whether a ready-made operator like Mac Allister can bridge the gap left by Rodri.

The problem? None of those options come cheap, and some may not be available at all.

Liverpool’s dilemma

From Liverpool’s perspective, the idea of strengthening a direct rival with one of their key midfielders is close to unthinkable.

Mac Allister was central to their 2024/25 title triumph, scoring five goals from midfield and earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year. That kind of recognition is not handed out lightly. It underlines how influential he was at his peak in a Liverpool shirt.

Even during the slump to fifth last season, his underlying numbers and tactical work remained strong enough to keep scouts and analysts interested. He might not always dominate the highlight reels, but his intelligence without the ball and composure in possession have made him a coach’s favourite wherever he has played.

All of which raises the key question: would Liverpool even pick up the phone if City called?

There is no indication yet that they have been asked to. No offer, no formal contact, only City’s internal discussions and a name on a shortlist.

But the fact that Mac Allister is on that list at all tells its own story. City know they cannot simply replace Rodri with promise and potential. They need someone who understands the league, who has carried the weight of expectation, who can walk into a title-chasing dressing room and not blink.

Whether that player ends up being Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Adam Wharton, or the emerging Bouaddi, one thing is clear: Maresca’s Manchester City will be judged not on how they cope with Rodri, but on who they trust to lead the midfield when he is gone.