Rodri has dealt Manchester City a heavy blow. The Spain midfielder’s clear desire to join Real Madrid this window has scuppered the club’s efforts to draw other bidders into the race.
Sergio Valentin, a journalist at Spain’s “Marca” radio, wrote on his account on the “X” platform: “Manchester City tried to push other clubs into competing for Rodri, but did not succeed in doing so.”
Rodri, he added, “closed the door on all other options”. The player wants a move to Real Madrid and nothing else, with an agreement already in place between the two parties over a transfer to the Royal club.
That desire to wear the white shirt hands Real Madrid the upper hand, Valentin explained. The Spanish side can now negotiate with Manchester City to land the best possible price. He stressed that Real “will not let go of Rodri” and that the deal could be settled for a sum ranging between 65 and 75 million euros.
All of this lands as Rodri pushes to return to the Spanish league in a Real Madrid shirt, especially after the fine level he showed at the World Cup. The deal also carries the approval of José Mourinho, the Royal side’s manager.
Nobody has missed how clear the midfielder’s wishes are. The clubs chasing him have taken note, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich both pulling back in the face of his insistence on moving to Real Madrid.
Barcelona have gone no further than contacting the player’s entourage, stopping short of direct talks with Manchester City. The Catalans grasped Rodri’s priority quickly, even after the injury to Frenkie de Jong sharpened their interest in his situation.
Competing with Real Madrid looks a tall order for Barcelona. They have other needs to fill this window, and their heavy spending of late makes stumping up an extra 75 million euros for Rodri a complicated matter.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, appear optimistic about wrapping up the deal, though they are handling the negotiations with caution. Manchester City are digging in on their demand for 75 million euros to sanction the player’s departure.
Real want to trim the fee to around 60 million euros. Current indications, though, point to a sum ranging between 65 and 75 million euros, especially given Rodri’s decisive desire to move to the Santiago Bernabéu.
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