Man City 'ready to spend £60m on Rodri replacement' and will ruin Liverpool plans

Manchester City are reportedly planning a £60million raid for Real Sociedad star player Martin Zubimendi in the January transfer window. This comes from the advice of injured midfielder Rodri, who has left a significant void in the team due to his serious knee injury.

This injury is expected to keep him out of action until next season. It appears that Pep Guardiola, whose English champions suffered three consecutive defeats before their recent match against Brighton – their worst run in six years – has identified a potential successor for his Ballon d'Or winner.

According to the Daily Star, Rodri himself “informed” Guardiola of the qualities of his fellow Spaniard, Zubimendi, capped 14 times by Spain. The 25-year-old midfielder shares many of Rodri's attributes, including his ability to control a match and dictate play from deep positions.

This makes him an ideal candidate to fill the void in the Etihad engine room, not only as a temporary replacement for Rodri but also as a future partner when he returns to form. The good news for City, who have a transfer budget of £100 million in the new year, is that Zubimendi is well within their price range.

He has a £60 million release clause in his contract at Sociedad, which runs until July 2027. Zubimendi was previously on Liverpool's radar this summer, but following the appointment of the new Anfield boss, Arne Slot, the Merseysiders have decided to postpone the deal until he has thoroughly assessed his squad.

The move leaves the door ajar for title contenders City to make their move for the La Liga star, who was a substitute in Spain's final victory over England, in the January transfer window .