Man City have been linked to signing Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, as Rodri’s future at the club is uncertain.
Pep Guardiola will be keen to replace Rodri with a younger, talented midfielder who can help control possession and help get his side back on top of the Premier League over rivals Arsenal and Liverpool.
Rodri has been linked with both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and so instead of signing a new contract in the summer, he could leave for La Liga.
Much has been said about Elliot Anderson and whether he could develop into a useful option for Pep Guardiola’s system. He’s energetic, technically sound, and carries a Premier League pedigree. But if City are truly looking for value and upside, they might be better looking elsewhere — specifically in the Eredivisie.
Man City should sign Feyenoord gem Targhalline instead
As Anderson is expected to command a transfer fee of around £100m, Man City could reduce the risk of him flopping and money going to waste, by signing Feyenoord midfielder Oussama Targhalline.
Using Data MB‘s player comparison tool to analyse Anderson, Targhalline came up as a young midfielder with almost identical stats to the Forest star.
What stands out immediately is just how similar their underlying numbers are. From progressive carries to passes into the final third, Targhalline is matching Anderson stride for stride. In some areas, he even edges ahead, particularly in ball recoveries and defensive duels — metrics that Guardiola places huge importance on.
There’s also a stylistic argument here. Targhalline looks like a Guardiola midfielder. Comfortable receiving under pressure, always scanning, and rarely wasting possession, he plays with a calmness that mirrors Rodri at the Etihad. You can easily picture him rotating into City’s midfield and not looking out of place.
Of course, Anderson would bring homegrown benefits and a lower adaptation risk, which shouldn’t be dismissed. But if City are serious about finding the best profile rather than the most obvious one, Targhalline feels like the smarter play, furthermore, he has a much lower market value of around £20m, so could become the bargain of the century.
It’s not about chasing the bigger name — it’s about identifying the right fit. And based on the data, City might already have their answer hiding in the Netherlands.