Image source, Getty Images

Should Rodri depart, Enzo Maresca's Manchester City side are somewhat lacking in leaders, with club captain Bernardo Silva and experienced campaigners John Stones and Nathan Ake also leaving.

Maresca is believed to want a homegrown player in the leadership group, which consists of Rodri, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland.

Despite his outspoken nature, Haaland does not seem suited to Maresca's demands of a captain on the pitch, which leaves Dias as the front-runner for the armband.

"Erling was one of the first to send a message when I joined the club," said Maresca.

"At Leicester and Chelsea I had a rule that when we scored the captain had to come to the bench, not to celebrate, but for instructions. But if he scores, then he can celebrate.

"If Erling is the captain, we have a problem... can you imagine?"

Phil Foden has captained City during pre-season and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is a vocal presence on the pitch, while defender Marc Guehi skippered former club Crystal Palace.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Argentina international, 25, has faced uncertainty over his future at Stamford Bridge since March, when he first raised the possibility of a move to Real Madrid.

Around that time, his agent Javier Pastore publicly stated his client was underpaid and wanted to leave following a difficult season in which Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and ended the campaign without a trophy after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City.

Real Madrid have since said they have "no intention" of signing Fernandez, leaving the only known potential suitors as Manchester City, whose new boss Enzo Maresca left Chelsea midway through last season.

It remains unclear whether City would be willing to meet the player's valuation, with the Etihad outfit also known to be targeting Lille's Moroccan midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi.

Chelsea have set a deadline of 17:00 BST on Friday for any offers and are expected to stand firm on their £120m price tag, even though they signed him for £107m from Benfica in 2023.

Image source, Getty Images

Enzo Fernandez

Age: 25 Country: Argentina Club: Chelsea

City have been heavily linked with Fernandez, and he is currently the favoured option for Maresca, who worked with him at Chelsea.

But the London club are expected to stand firm on their £120m valuation - a hefty sum considering City have already spent £116m on Anderson.

Maresca made Fernandez captain at Chelsea in the absence of Reece James. The Italian clearly sees Fernandez as not only a talented player but also a leader, something City would be shorn of should Rodri move on.

Alexis Mac Allister

Age: 27 Country: Argentina Club: Liverpool

Perhaps the most surprising name to be linked with City is Mac Allister, but the Blues have explored a potential move for him.

The Argentine is into the final two years of his contract at Anfield and would bring top-flight experience and be a ready-made candidate to slot into City's midfield.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Scott

Age: 22 Country: England Club: Bournemouth

City have explored a potential move for England international Scott this summer.

The 22-year-old has rejected contract offers from the Cherries amid interest from other Premier League teams, though his current deal does not expire until 2028 and the club have expressed their desire to keep him.

Scott's energy and ball-carrying ability suit Maresca's preferred style of play.

Image source, Getty Images

Ayyoub Bouaddi

Age: 18 Country: Morocco Club: Lille

Talk of City signing Bouaddi has been rumbling all summer, and the club have reportedly held talks with the Moroccan,, external who would cost an estimated £85m.

Bouaddi is said to be keen on the move.

The teenager impressed at this summer's World Cup after a starring role in Lille's Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024 announced him on the big stage.

Who could replace Rodri at Manchester City were he to leave?

Let's look at a few contenders.

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport

Enzo Maresca has been in his new job as Manchester City boss just six weeks, but already he may be on the cusp of having to make a tough decision.

With Rodri heavily linked with a move back to his native Spain, Maresca's first challenge may well be to find a replacement for a World Cup-winning captain and Ballon d'Or winner.

Rodri, 30, is in the final year of his contract and City have already rejected a £38.5m bid from Barcelona following interest from Real Madrid.

After helping the Blues win the Treble in 2023 then triumphing at the Euros with Spain a year later, an anterior cruciate ligament injury derailed Rodri's dominance somewhat.

But he showed glimpses of his brilliance for City last season before returning to the Rodri of old as he captained Spain to World Cup success in the summer.

His stock is high, and a move from Manchester after seven seasons with the club would leave a huge hole for Maresca to fill.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City have reportedly rejected a £55m bid from Barcelona for Spain midfielder Rodri.

The Premier League club want more than £60m for the 30-year-old as talks between the two clubs continue, according to Sky Sports.

This morning, though, we're going to kick things off by looking at one of the other biggest 'will he, won't he?' of the summer...

A big one to watch today is Enzo Fernandez.

Chelsea have set a deadline of 17:00 BST for offers of £120m or more from clubs interested in midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Will anyone bid? Will we see him exit Stamford Bridge?

As ever, we want to hear from you.

What are you hoping for from the final weeks of the transfer window?

Are you confident with your club's squad, or starting to get twitchy?

Let us know by clicking 'Get Involved' at the top of this page. Ta!

Good morning.

Thanks for joining us on today's live.

We'll be looking at the latest movements in the transfer market and any fresh rumours going around.

And if any done deals land as we go, you'll be the first to hear.

Let's get going.