At a glance
- Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reiterated his common stance that unhappy players must leave his club when asked about links between Rodri and Real Madrid.
- The Ballon d’Or winner flirted with Los Blancos while on international duty.
- As reported by ReadRealMadrid earlier this week, though, Rodri isn’t high on their shortlist of midfielders.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola repeated his common stance when asked about rumours linking his midfielder Rodri to Real Madrid, by saying “they have to leave” in relation to players that are unhappy at the Etihad or wish to move on.
Appearing on Spanish radio station Onda Cero during the international break, the Ballon d’Or winner openly flirted with Los Blancos and stressed that his Atletico Madrid past would not be an issue if heading to the Bernabeu.
“There have been many players who’ve gone down that path [playing for Atletico and Real],” Rodri reminded us. “Not immediately, but over time. For me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.”
When these remarks were raised during Guardiola’s press conference to preview an FA Cup quarterfinal tie with Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, the Catalan said he’d “absolutely” not stand in Rodri’s way if he were to push a move away from the Etihad.
Manchester City don’t want to lose Rodri to Real Madrid
Guardiola stressed that “the organisation of the club is above all of us”, but that “if one player is not happy they have to leave, and [we] continue the same always if they are happy – and I think he is happy”.
“If he’s not happy just knock on the door of the sporting director, accept an offer according to his incredible quality and after that he doesn’t belong to the club – only himself,” Guardiola suggested.
“I know what the club wants. They informed me what they want from Rodri – it is to stay, stay, stay. I always had the positive [feeling] with that but at the end I don’t know.”
But Real Madrid don’t want Rodri
Reports from outlets such as AS in Spain suggest that City have nothing to worry about. Vitinha and Enzo Fernandez are higher on President Florentino Perez’s midfield shortlist amid concerns about Rodri given his age, injuries, and lower-lever performances since his 2024 ACL tear.
Yet with those players valued over €100 million, Rodri’s contract expiring in 2027 doesn’t mean that Madrid might not hold off for 12 months until he is a free agent on June 30 next year.
A more attacking Nico Paz is believed to already be a cert to bring back from Como for around €8 million, and a much improved Aurelien Tchouameni can hold the fort defensively in addition to Eduardo Camavinga if Paris Saint-Germain’s interest remains just that and he isn’t used as a bargaining chip in a Vitinha coup.
By picking Rodri up for free, Madrid could get a few more years out the rest of his peak while waiting for the clock to run out down on Vitinha’s and Enzo Fernandez’s terms which expire in 2029 and 2032 respectively.
