Manchester City could be involved in three deals this weekend should the blocks fall into place - which could end with them lodging a club-record bid for Enzo Fernandez.
Those at the Etihad are embarking on a new era following the departure of Pep Guardiola and the Enzo Maresca tenure could begin with some wholesale changes to the club's midfield.
Rodri's potential exit and Barcelona interest
Since winning the World Cup, Rodri has been linked with a return to Spain and Barcelona look to have leapt ahead of Real Madrid in the queue, despite their long-term interest. The Catalans have already seen one bid rejected by the Premier League side.
City could ultimately be forced into a corner regarding Rodri, who was a talisman of the Guardiola era and one of the men who drove their winning mentality. He's entered the final year of his deal and returning home is ultimately on his agenda.
The Manchester outfit are seeking £70m before they consider letting Rodri leave and if Barcelona hit that figure then a move back to La Liga could be on the cards.
Reijnders and Anderson in the midfield shake-up
The club-record signing of Elliot Anderson, who joined from Nottingham Forest for £116m, is part of planning for life after Rodri with the England star blossoming since leaving Newcastle. Anderson would serve, from a technical point of view, as a similar player to the Spaniard, operating at the base of midfield.
One man from the Guardiola era who was not seen his City career take off has been Tijjani Reijnders. He headed to Manchester from AC Milan off the back of being named the best midfielder in Italy, but the Dutchman found it difficult to nail down regular minutes at the Etihad.
He was signed for £46.5m but a move to Saudi Arabia is now on the cards with Al Qadsiah willing to pay £60m. That profit would give City scope to go out and add more quality in the midfield, which would ultimately be needed if Rodri and Reijnders did both depart Manchester. Bernardo Silva also left this summer upon the expiry of his contract.
Fernandez bid deadline and potential £250m merry-go-round
That comes 12 months after Kevin De Bruyne was allowed to seek a new challenge, heading to Napoli, all of which leaves City undergoing a major revamp of their midfield. Rodri and Bernardo were the last remaining figures of the team that dominated England in the early 2020s.
The club remain in talks with Lille for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who enjoyed a stellar World Cup, but Maresca's appointment has led to inevitable links with Fernandez at Chelsea.
The Argentina star made noises about leaving Stamford Bridge last season, expressing his desire to live in Madrid, which eventually saw him suspended by the club. New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is determine to keep hold of his midfielder, who alongside Moises Caicedo forms one of the more impressive partnerships in the country.
Chelsea want to avoid a scenario whereby Fernandez's future is still being discussed whilst their beginning their Premier League campaign, and as a result have given City until 5pm on Friday to table an offer.
They want £120m for Fernandez, which would exceed the fee City spend on Anderson. The need for midfielders, and the bank balance, may have shifted over the next 48 hours depending on who leaves the blue side of Manchester.
It could all lead to a transfer merry-go-round that sees £250m changing hands if price tags are met with Fernandez becoming one of the most expensive domestic deals ever.
