This does not look like routine squad maintenance. It looks more like a manager and recruitment team trying to rebuild the personality of the middle third.
The challenge is obvious: replacing one midfielder is hard enough, but replacing the balance, composure and leadership lost in a single window is something else entirely.
Wharton has been linked because he looks like the kind of modern Premier League midfielder who can dictate rhythm without slowing the game down. He is young, brave in possession and seems suited to a side that wants control.
Enzo Fernandez, meanwhile, would be a different statement. He already carries the weight of expectation, has top-level experience and appears better equipped for an immediate role in a title race. Other reports suggest City have explored that route even after a prior deadline passed at Chelsea.
In short, one option feels like succession planning; the other feels like a power move.
Rodri’s goodbye gave the story real emotion. "The City didn’t just make me grow as a player. It made me grow as a human being," he said, underlining that this is more than a tactical reshuffle. For a club built on control, replacing that kind of presence is never straightforward.
The next step is the one to watch: whether City push hard for a marquee deal before the window shuts, or trust that a younger profile can grow into the role over the season ahead.