Manchester City midfielder Rodri has compared himself to Barcelona star Sergio Busquets, after completing his £62.8m club-record move to the Etihad.
The Spain international joins the Premier League champions from Atletico Madrid, with the 22-year-old being tipped as the long-term replacement for Fernandinho in Pep Guardiola’s side.
The midfielder has been likened in style to Busquets, the 113-cap international who has been central to an unprecedented period of success for Barcelona and Spain.
Rodri, who has played alongside Busquets for the national side, hailed the Barcelona star but admits he can see the similarities between the pair.
“I think he [Busquets] has been the greatest defensive midfielder in the last 10 years, not only in Barcelona, especially in the Spanish national team,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.
“For me, he is a mirror. I didn’t see Pep [as a player] but I saw him [Busquets] when he started eight or 10 years ago, when I was little. Of course, I am very close to him [as a player] but I have other skills. I want to be my own player.
“Of course I’ve learned from him and I want to learn here from Fernandinho and the other guys in my position but Sergio is quite a similar player to me.”
Rodri revealed that conversations with his international teammates about Pep Guardiola, as well as the Man City boss’s impressive record of improving players helped persuade him to move to the club.
“That is a very important fact,” he added.
“The way coaches make you improve means a lot. That is one of the things I like most about this coach. They told me in Spanish national team, and Sergio told me, that he [Guardiola] likes improving you all the time, he doesn’t ever stop, he wants you to be better all the time, so for me it is very important.
“It is one of the reasons I came here.”
The big wage hike might be another potential reason…
See also – Man City’s five most expensive signings ever
