Manchester City confirmed the signing of Rodri from Atletico Madrid this afternoon.
A deal for the 23-year-old was secured after the Citizens triggered the midfielder’s €70m (£62.5m) release clause.
The Manchester club have also revealed Rodri’s shirt number. It is 16, the same shirt that Sergio Aguero used before switching to no.10 in 2015. Fans are hoping the Spaniard can be just as successful at the Etihad Stadium:
Destined to be a club legend just as Aguero is. pic.twitter.com/XhNJqtPND8
— TOBI™ (@yugee_bro) 4 July 2019
#16 big shoes to fill ?
— Khrishaël ??? (@Khrissyjesus33) 4 July 2019
damn, suddenly he looks like Aguero for a moment
— Jann-Fiete Arp (@ArpJann) 4 July 2019
Let's hope for him that he will give him success like Aguero with this number ?
— Jo ?⭐️⭐️ (@jo_0717) 4 July 2019
AKA Busquets
— Lolitolopa (@lolitolopa) 4 July 2019
A number 16 player coming from Atletico Madrid ?
— #DomesticTreble (@I_fhxd) 4 July 2019
No pressure pic.twitter.com/N1gaA7rsP6
— Liam Reynolds (@LA_ReyRey) 4 July 2019
The previous number 16 wasn't up to much. Hope Rodri breaks the curse
— Mike Weathers (@TheCartel14) 4 July 2019
Rodri has been eyed as Fernandinho’s long term replacement at City. The Brazilian is 34 years of age and spent some time on the sidelines last season with knee problems.
How manager Pep Guardiola will use the pair next campaign will be interesting to see. Will the Spaniard be used as a rotation player or will the two play alongside each other initially?
What is certain, though, is that City have secured their number one target this summer, ahead of the likes of Manchester United, PSG and Bayern Munich.
