Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester City are entering unfamiliar territory this season, warning that the club’s remarkable run of dominance under Pep Guardiola will be tested like never before.
The former Manchester United defender, speaking on his media platform, said City’s period of near-total control over English football could be under serious threat as they adjust to life with Enzo Maresca in the dugout.
“I think Man City have a huge challenge this year in competing in the way they have in the last eight or nine years,” Ferdinand said, according to Metro
“They’ve lost two huge components of the football club, not only on the pitch but off it as well. They were both huge contributors so let’s watch this space.”
A new era begins at the Etihad Stadium
Ferdinand’s comments come as City fans continue to adapt to the sight of Maresca, rather than Guardiola, patrolling the touchline at the Etihad Stadium.
The Italian’s appointment marked one of the most significant changes in the club’s modern history. It closes the door on an era that delivered an unprecedented run of Premier League titles, an historic treble and a status as English football’s benchmark side.
Off the pitch, the club is also managing a delicate situation surrounding one of its most important on-field leaders.
Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, has entered the final year of his contract, and reports suggest he has already made up his mind about a move to Barcelona ahead of a rival offer from Real Madrid.
“Not only have they lost Pep Guardiola, it now looks like they’re losing Rodri. That’s two of the most important people at the football club in the last seven or eight years,” Ferdinand said.
“So after a big change in manager they’re losing the biggest, most important player in their team.”
The Spaniard has won 13 trophies in seven years at City, including four Premier League titles, and scored the winning goal in the 2022-23 Champions League final, before adding the Ballon d’Or the following year.
City’s numbers without their midfield anchor tell their own story. Their win percentage has dropped sharply from 76% to 55.6% in matches Rodri has missed, with points per game falling from 2.5 to 1.7. The statistic only adds weight to concerns about the scale of the rebuild facing Maresca.
Man City trying to rebuild the midfield engine
With Rodri’s long-term future increasingly in doubt, City’s recruitment plans this summer have understandably centred on finding a successor capable of controlling games in the way he has done since his club-record arrival from Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has emerged as a leading candidate, with Maresca — who worked with the Argentine during his time at Stamford Bridge — said to be keen on a reunion, though City would likely need to pay in excess of £100m to get a deal done.
It is a reminder of how much has changed at the club in a short space of time. Not so long ago, it was Rodri himself arriving at the Etihad with big ambitions, declaring on his unveiling that City belonged “on the podium among the world’s top football teams.”
Now, with his departure appearing increasingly likely and Guardiola no longer at the helm, the club finds itself trying to replace two defining figures of its golden era simultaneously.
Ferdinand’s caution echoes a wider feeling among pundits that City’s aura of invincibility, built up over almost a decade of sustained success, cannot be taken for granted this season.
Rivals such as Arsenal have shown increasing composure at the top of the table in recent campaigns, and any hint of instability at the Etihad is likely to be seized upon by title challengers eager to close the gap.
