In an interview with Football365, former England player Fara Williams shared her thoughts on the upcoming Premier League title race for the 2026/27 season. According to her, the outcome hinges significantly on whether Manchester City’s 30-year-old midfielder Rodri remains at the club, as he is reportedly close to a move to Barcelona.
Following Pep Guardiola's departure and the subsequent appointment of Enzo Maresca, City have already splashed out a club-record £116 million on Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson and are also showing interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. However, Williams believes these players cannot adequately fill the void left by the Ballon d'Or winner of 2024.
Fara Williams stated:
I think, in terms of controlling the midfield, Rodri is a key figure. We saw this with the Spanish national team and his incredible performance at the World Cup this summer. City really missed him last year due to injury. Elliot Anderson is a fantastic player, but he isn’t Rodri. He doesn’t yet dictate the pace like the Spaniard does. It’s a similar situation with Enzo Fernandez — he’s more of an Anderson type, just a bit classier.
She added that if Rodri stays in Manchester, City will still be the favourites for the upcoming season. However, should he make the switch to Barcelona, the current Premier League champions, Arsenal, are likely to hold onto the trophy.
