Enzo Maresca confident in Manchester City's ability to replace Rodri

Enzo Maresca has brushed off the loss of Rodri to Barcelona for £65m by stating Manchester City will search for the “new Rodri” in the same way Sergio Agüero was replaced by Erling Haaland.

Rodri’s departure is a sizable blow to the club’s new manager as he embarks on a first season in charge. Yet the Italian is not fazed by the absence of a player considered one of the world’s best No 6s.

“How do we solve that problem? We try to find the new Rodri, it is what it is. [Before] Rodri arrived here, he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, he didn’t win the Champions League, he didn’t win the Club World Cup. He joined the club, then he achieved many important things.

“Now the target for us is to try to find the new Rodri. I was thinking on Thursday night, when David Silva was here, everyone was worried and Kevin [De Bruyne] arrived. When Sergio [Agüero] was here, everyone was worried [when he was going to leave] and Erling [Haaland] arrived. Fernandinho? Rodri arrived. It is just about this. When they leave, you need to be good at recruiting the next one.

“They are all similar, David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri, Erling – it is normal, it is change, it is not a problem, go again and try to do the right things.”

Rodri had expressed his desire to leave City and Maresca said – as did his predecessor, Pep Guardiola – he would not stand in the way of any player who wishes to leave. “He can go, absolutely. If he is not happy, he is not going to perform in the right way,” he said.

City lost 3-0 to Arsenal in last Sunday’s Community Shield in Cardiff and before Sunday’s visit of Bournemouth for their Premier League opener, Maresca said the critical reaction to the loss had been expected.

“It was good, and normal. It is normal that you are upset straight after the game. We were all upset,” said the manager. “We wanted to win, we didn’t win so it’s a normal reaction but after Tuesday we started to prepare for Bournemouth, you have to switch off one thing and focus on the next one. It was two days where we were not happy and now the focus has to be Bournemouth.”

Maresca has been pleased with how the players are training now he is in charge and not Guardiola. “Since day one the attitude has been very good,” he said. “For them it is not easy. When you work with the same person every day then change, it changes everything.

“I am an actor and I work with the same director, and we make movies for 10 years. Suddenly the director changes, me as the actor I’m still thinking in the same way as I was with the previous director but now the director is new so I need to adapt. It’s complicated, it’s not easy. It’s not an excuse but it requires a little bit of time, but we need to compete as soon as possible.”

Maresca has an ideal size for his squad. “We have three or four academy players that will stay with us because they impressed me in pre-season. Kaden [Braithwaite], [Floyd] Samba and Ryan McAidoo. Then, for me personally we need around 21-22 players. Around 20 players plus these three young players full of energy – we are happy.”