Denial from Rubén Uría closes off one avenue of speculation
The prospect of Rodri returning to Atletico Madrid this summer has been firmly rejected by a Spanish journalist, cutting off one of the more persistent strands of speculation surrounding the Manchester City midfielder.
Rubén Uría, writing in the Spanish press, stated there is “no possibility whatsoever, absolutely none” that the Spain international will rejoin the club where he came through the academy before moving to the Etihad in 2019.
The wording is about as unambiguous as it gets, leaving little room for interpretation. Whatever else might be happening with Rodri's future, a return to the Metropolitano is not part of the conversation.
Real Madrid interest remains unresolved
The Atletico link had added a fresh dimension to a summer already thick with speculation about the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. Real Madrid had been previously reported to have made direct contact with City over a potential move, and that particular strand of the story has yet to reach a similar conclusion.
City, for their part, have maintained a firm stance throughout. Director of football Hugo Viana is not believed to have entertained the idea of sanctioning a departure for a player viewed as central to Enzo Maresca's plans for the coming campaign.
Rodri's performances at the World Cup have only reinforced his standing as one of the most coveted midfielders in the game, which makes the club's position entirely predictable. Losing your most influential defensive midfielder during a rebuild that already demands considerable resources is not a complication anyone at the Etihad would welcome.
Uría's denial narrows the field of credible suitors, but the broader question of whether Rodri starts the 2026-27 season in blue remains the defining issue of City's summer. The path back to Madrid via Atletico, at least, will not be the route through which that question is answered.