Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Rodri is set to return to training on Friday, while he also denied any movement on an exit to Barcelona.

The Citizens enjoyed a 3-1 win against Atletico Madrid on Sunday in a pre-season friendly, and that game was the club's final clash before the Community Shield on August 16 against Arsenal.

Head coach Maresca did not have a full contingent available to him against Atletico given he was without key stars such as Rodri, though there is a chance he may not be able to use the 30-year-old at all next season.

Barca were reported to have made a £51.38m bid for the City midfielder, their second offer for the Spaniard, though the English side are thought to be holding out for a fee in the region of £70m.

Maresca has revealed that Rodri is due to return to training on August 14 following his exploits with Spain at the World Cup, while he also insisted that there was no "update" on any possible exit.

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While Rodri may be 30, keeping him for another season could see City retake the Premier League title given all of their rivals have serious weaknesses.

Arsenal are set to be without William Saliba for months, and they currently have an almost identical attack to the one that scored just 71 top-flight goals last season.

Chelsea and Liverpool both have new managers in the dugout, and the two clubs have looked far from their best in pre-season so far.

Manchester United's squad is thin ahead of 2026-27, with just three senior midfielders available to Michael Carrick.

Rodri only has a year left on his contract, but ensuring he remains at the Etihad would arguably make City favourites for the title.

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There is no midfielder on the market as accomplished as Rodri in the middle of the pitch, so the only way to replace him would be in the aggregate.

The signing of Elliot Anderson will help mitigate the loss of the Spaniard from a defensive perspective, and he also offers more as a ball carrier.

City have been linked with Lille star Ayyoub Bouaddi, though he is only 18 and cannot be expected to lead Maresca to the title.

The Citizens are unlikely to be able to play in the same way should they sell Rodri, but it does not mean they cannot still experience success.