Cool, composed and able to chess-move in the tight, ever-shifting zones of the elite game’s midfield, Rodri is a serious contender for Manchester City’s player of the season.
In a stellar squad Erling Haaland may hog the headlines yet Rodri is Pep Guardiola’s ball-hogger supreme, a player the manager might privately admit is more vital to his pass-and-move machine than the 48-goal man.