According to Marca, Manchester City star Rodri has become Real Madrid’s top transfer target. The club’s management believes he is the only player capable of filling the void left by Toni Kroos’s retirement and Luka Modric’s departure.
Rodri suffered a cruciate ligament injury in August 2024 and returned at the start of this season. However, he experienced several setbacks recently before making a strong comeback against Sunderland a few days ago.
Rodri’s contract with Manchester City expires in the summer of 2027, and Real Madrid is reportedly willing to break two of its long-standing traditions to sign the Spanish international.
The first is that Rodri is 30 years old, and Real Madrid typically prefers younger players over older ones. However, there is a belief within Florentino Perez’s administration that Rodri is currently unparalleled in the game and deserves to be brought to the Santiago Bernabeu, even if it means breaking with tradition.
The second rule is that Real Madrid usually prefers to wait until players’ contracts expire before signing them, as happened with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kylian Mbappé, David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, and others. However, Pérez’s administration might enter into negotiations with Manchester City to sign the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.
Real Madrid is currently monitoring the situation closely. If Rodri agrees to renew his contract, the deal will be finalized. But if his negotiations with City fail, Los Blancos will intervene decisively to sign Rodri immediately, especially since the English club would prefer to sell him now rather than lose him for free in the summer of 2027.
It’s worth noting that Real Madrid is monitoring a number of young midfielders, with Dutchman Kees Smit and Englishman Adam Wharton remaining at the top of their list of targets at the Bernabéu. However, Rodri remains a more affordable and higher-quality option.
