Pep Guardiola has always been a fan of control and possession soccer, a philosophy that has defined his success at Manchester City. Now, the manager is close to finding a player who can replace Rodri in midfield and who's reminiscent of one of Madrid's most iconic figures: Kroos. Guardiola has been looking for someone who not only controls the game from the midfield, but also has the ability to read games like Kroos did.
Toni Kroos has been the brains of Real Madrid's midfield for many years, with an impressive ability to mark the pace of play and make decisions with great precision. Guardiola, who's always admired players like Kroos, knows that to keep Manchester City In the elite of European soccer, they need a player who has those same qualities. Since Rodri's injury, the "cityzen" team has had to deal with a significant gap in its midfield.
The Zubimendi Option: Guardiola's Choice
The name that has emerged strongly to fill that role at Manchester City is Martin Zubimendi. The Real Sociedad midfielder has been identified by Pep Guardiola as the perfect profile to take over the English team's midfield. Zubimendi, With his vision of the game and ability to distribute the ball, he's aroused the interest of the Catalonian manager, who sees in him a player with great potential.
With a buyout clause of 60 million euros, City would be willing to activate this option in the next transfer window. Zubimendi's arrival would be a big loss for Real Madrid, who had also shown interest in the player as a possible signing. Kroos's heir in his own team. However, City seems to have taken the lead in this race, taking advantage of the urgent need to reinforce their midfield following Rodri's injury.
Guardiola and his Plan for the Midfield
Guardiola knows that finding a player to fill Kroos's role is no easy task. Kroos, throughout his career at Real Madrid, has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world. Zubimendi, although young, has shown in Real Sociedad that he's highly qualified for the job, which has made Guardiola keep an eye on him.