Manchester City have stepped up a wide-ranging drive to renew key contracts after the Rodri transfer saga left the club fearing the loss of another cornerstone of Pep Guardiola’s side.
The Spain midfielder is on the verge of joining Real Madrid, having taken advantage of entering the final year of his deal at Etihad Stadium and rejecting all offers of an extension. Rodri has already reached an agreement in principle with the Spanish champions over personal terms, while talks continue between Real Madrid and City regarding the transfer fee.
The handling of that situation has prompted a strategic shift at City, with the Premier League club now determined not to allow other core players to run down their contracts to a similar point and gain leverage over their futures.
Khusanov signs long-term extension
As part of this new approach, Manchester City have officially announced a two-year contract extension for Uzbekistan defender Abdulqodir Khusanov, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2031. The deal underlines how highly City rate the young centre-back as part of their long-term plans.
Khusanov’s renewal comes only a few days after the club confirmed a new contract for England international Phil Foden, viewed internally as one of the main pillars of City’s sporting project for the years ahead.
Club sources see these back-to-back announcements as the start of a broader “protection” phase for their squad, designed to ensure that players viewed as the future of the team are tied down well before they enter the final 12 months of their deals.
Focus turns to Doku and Gvardiol
City’s hierarchy do not intend to stop there. Reports indicate the club are now focused on concluding new contracts for Belgium winger Jeremy Doku and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol.
Both players are considered central to the evolution of Guardiola’s side, and City want to “secure the future of their most important stars and shut the door on any outside attempts to lure them away”.
Negotiations with Doku and Gvardiol are part of a wider internal plan to lock in the core of the squad that has delivered sustained domestic and European success in recent seasons.
Lessons from Rodri
The club’s accelerated activity reflects a clear desire to avoid another scenario like Rodri’s. Within City, there is growing recognition that delaying renewal talks can hand top players a powerful bargaining chip and weaken the club’s position when heavyweight European rivals enter the picture.
By moving earlier on extensions, City hope to reduce the risk of being forced into difficult choices between losing a key player for a reduced fee, or seeing them run down their contract and potentially leave for free.
While Rodri’s prospective move to Real Madrid continues to dominate headlines, City’s response has been to double down on safeguarding the rest of their squad – a contract “revolution” designed to ensure that one high-profile departure does not spark a wider unravelling of their long-term project.
