Rodri revealed Manchester City have changed the landscape of English football as the club's record signing outlined the reasons for teaming up with Pep Guardiola.
The £62.8million central midfielder believes the Premier League champions have permanently usurped Manchester United as the region's top side while making his arrival from Atletico Madrid.
'In the last five or six years has changed story of the football here,' Rodri said.
'Not only Manchester but the whole of England. Manchester is becoming bluer.
'I've been following this team for four or five years now. Not just because of the good players but because of the way they play. I don't watch too much football but I've been watching City.
'There wasn't another option. This was the place I wanted to be. Once I knew the club was interested in me there was no doubt. It was very clear for me to decide to come here.
'Since Pep's arrived it has been a radical change in the way they've played and they are one of the most feared in Europe. It's not just pretty football. City are in the top two or three teams in the world. They even make good teams change their style.'
Rodri has been talked up as Spain's natural successor to Busquets and added: 'Sergio has been the greatest defensive midfielder of the last 10 years.
'I watched him when I was little. I'm close (in style) to him but have other skills. I've learned about him, learn from Fernandinho - these guys in my position - and we are similar. Sergio told me about Pep, that he likes improving you. He doesn't stop.
'I'm going to grow under Pep. I'm not coming here because the manager's Spanish. I think he's the greatest coach in the world.'
Rodri will start pre-season training with City on Monday and was taken on a tour of the club's campus on Thursday.
'The city is tiny - it's good for me,' he said. 'I've never lived in big cities. I don't want massive cities. I'm joining a great league that will make me grow in many aspects.'
Aneel56
158
Roses are red Manchester is blue Without sheikh mansour You’d be in league two
VanishPrasad
74
Please don't compare Manchester City to Manchester United. Manchester United is miles ahead every other team except Liverpool only .
DaMhztourage
65
This is why Sir Alex Ferguson call city "noisy neighbours" they just started winning few trophies, and their noise is more than Utd's 20 league tittles excluding 3 UCL trophies, super cup and world club cup . Even their new signing is already making noise without knowing where their training ground is . We agree it's your time to shine , but don't make big noise yet , you're still 15 or more tittles behind Utd . Manchester is RED .
FaithEvans
42
Thank God he didn't say he's a City childhood fan and has been watching them since he's a kid, we would have reminded him that when he was a kid, Manchester City were relegated and when they are not, they rarely got their games televised... that's not even a long time ago
AverageS4v4g3
15
Roses are red Manchester is blue Without sheikh mansour You’d be in league two
[image]
Sad thing about it, even if we didn't have the financial injection you'd still be able e wallowing in failure now. Since Fergie left, that entire club has been floundering like an aimless buffoon
man-C-fr-lif
12
Roses are red Manchester is blue Without sheikh mansour You’d be in league two
[image]
without guzzler family you would have been ice hokey playing team[Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
Aneel56
10
without guzzler family you would have been ice hokey playing team[Crylaugh][Crylaugh]
Bruh ....you probably didn’t even know if city existed until ...they won their first title