Manchester City's record signing Rodri has warned Liverpool that the Premier League champions are coming for their European crown but saluted the Reds as one of the three best football teams in the world.
With Liverpool having only signed Dutch teenager Sepp van den Berg for an initial £1.3million fee so far, Pep Guardiola's side landed the first major blow of the summer window among last season's title rivals by making Rodri the most-expensive player in their history.
City freed the midfielder from his Atletico Madrid contract after just one season playing at the Wanda Metropolitano where the Reds lifted their sixth European Cup last month by meeting his £62.6million release clause.
However, having been unveiled at the Etihad, the Spanish international reckons that City – who have never gone beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League – are now primed to prise club football's biggest prize from Anfield next year.
He told the Manchester Evening News : “City have achieved an awful lot and what they have won in England is fantastic. I think they are just a small step away from reproducing that in Europe.
“It has always been a dream of mine to win the Champions League and I don’t think we are far away from achieving that.”
The 23-year-old had high praise for Liverpool though as he declared that Jurgen Klopp's men are – along with his new employers – are among the best three teams in world football.
He said: “I have been following this team for four or five years. They signed great players like David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, but it is also because of the way of playing, the titles.
“I like this football so I like watching City games and learn. I don’t watch too much football, but in England I try to watch City matches.
“Since Pep has arrived, it was quite a radical change to the way City play.
“They have become one of the most feared teams in Europe. City don’t just play pretty football, they can hurt you in the final third and score goals.
“They have a real respect in this country and Europe. I think City are in the top two or three teams in the world.
“They make even good teams change their style of play when they come up against them and that is a good indication.”
Asked who the other teams on that list would be, Rodri added: “I prefer to talk about City but football is about opinions.
“Liverpool having won the Champions League, you have to say they are up there.”
