Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola may look back on the 2023/24 campaign as a failure after his side only collected one major trophy.
The Sky Blues lifted the Premier League title for a fourth consecutive season but that was their only piece of silverware, as they fell short in the domestic cups and the Champions League.
They were beaten by Manchester United in the final of the FA Cup and lost to Real Madrid, the eventual champions at Wembley, on penalties in Europe.
Guardiola, therefore, may look to utilise the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business earlier this month, to bolster his playing squad before the end of August.
The Cityzens have already been linked with moves for Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong, Bologna centre-back Riccardo Calafiori, and Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala, who was formerly on the books at Chelsea.
City are also reportedly in the market to land Musiala's teammate at international and club level ahead of a possible exit from the Bavarian giants this summer…
Man City in contention to sign Germany star
According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Premier League champions are one of a number of clubs in contention to sign Joshua Kimmich.
The journalist names Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Liverpool as the five 'top' sides who are viable suitors for the Germany international.
Interestingly, he adds that the versatile midfielder does not currently have an active agent representing him, which means that any team who wants to sign him this summer will need to contact him directly to negotiate terms ahead of any potential transfer.
That claim came after Plettenberg had reported that it is 'increasingly likely' that Kimmich will secure a move away from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
His current contract with the Bundesliga side is due to expire in the summer of 2025 and the 29-year-old star is 'unlikely' to put pen to paper on an extension.
This has left Bayern in a difficult position, as they would not want to lose him on a free transfer next year, and they are now prepared to listen to offers for him this summer.
The reporter adds that 'concrete' talks will take place after the 2024 European Championship, in which Germany have made it to the round of 16, to sort out his future ahead of next season.
If City do end up winning the race for the midfielder, who appears set to leave Bayern, then they could land a phenomenal partner for Rodri in the middle of the park.
Rodri's midfield excellence for City
Once again, Rodri was a colossus in midfield for the Cityzens during their 2023/24 Premier League title success as he bossed teams week-in-week-out.
The Spain international, who was off the back of being named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2022/23 campaign, was a dominant force for Guardiola to help his side to yet another league title.
His ability in possession of the ball allowed him, and City, to dictate and control matches, which then allowed the attackers to weave their magic in the final third to secure the points needed to finish top of the division.
Passes attempted (112.26)
Top 1%
Pass accuracy (92%)
Top 3%
Progressive passes (11.55)
Top 1%
Shot-creating actions (4.82)
Top 5%
Non-penalty goals (0.25)
Top 7%
Assists (0.28)
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, Rodri ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of key passing metrics, with his progressive passing being a particular standout.
The average midfielder in the Premier League completed 4.84 progressive passes per 90, less than half as many as the Spaniard managed, and this illustrates just how forward-thinking and incisive the star was with his passes.
His work out of possession was also impressive as the 28-year-old metronome won 71% of his aerial duels and 56% of his ground duels in the Premier League, which shows that he was dominant in physical battles to win possession back and stop opposition attacks.
City could now land a dream partner for Rodri, who won 2.9 tackles and interceptions in the top-flight last term, by securing a deal to sign Kimmich this summer.
Why Man City should sign Joshua Kimmich
The 29-year-old defensive midfielder, who can also play at right-back, is a phenomenal talent who could form an extraordinary partnership with the Spanish star in the middle of the park.
Like Rodri, Kimmich is perfectly suited to playing in a ball-dominant team and has the quality in possession to be a creative and progressive passer.
He ranked within the top 3% of Bundesliga midfielders for passes attempted per 90 (93.76) and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90 (9.47), which speaks to his desire to get on the ball and play forward to find his teammates in dangerous areas.
The £316k-per-week star also ranked within the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.29), the top 6% for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.29), and the top 13% for assists per 90 (0.25).
This shows that Kimmich, who was dubbed a "mentality monster" by ex-boss Hansi Flick, also has the ability to create chances at an impressive rate from a midfield berth.
Appearances
34
28
xA
6.10
9.27
Big chances created
8
11
Ball recoveries per game
6.9
5.0
Ground duel success rate
56%
60%
Pass accuracy
92%
91%
As you can see in the table above, both players were fairly evenly matched in their respective divisions last season when it came to their work in and out of possession.
Kimmich, however, created more 'big chances' and ended the campaign with a higher xA, despite playing six fewer games, and this suggests that he could offer more creativity than Rodri for City.
The German ace did lose a whopping 70% of his aerial duels but these constrasting statistics perfectly illustrate why they could form a terrific pairing.
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Rodri can be the strong defensive force, who can dominate opponents in the air, and Kimmich can take the creative reins to consistently break down opposition defences next season.