The clock is ticking on Rodri's City future

There is a quiet sense of inevitability around the Etihad these days. The noise from Spain has grown louder with every passing week, and the reality is beginning to settle in: Rodri looks destined for Real Madrid.

Former City financial adviser Stefan Borson has painted a fairly stark picture of where things stand. Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, he suggested the club have essentially accepted the situation for what it is.

A loyalty test that went unanswered

The frustration, Borson argues, stems from the fact that City stood by their midfielder through his injury nightmare. Rodri missed the bulk of the 2024-25 campaign with an ACL problem and managed only a bit-part role last term. He played some part, but never a full one.

Contracts were tabled before the injury struck. The club wanted to secure their man. Given he was recuperating from such a serious issue, there was a reasonable expectation he might take the security on offer.

He didn't. He effectively gambled on himself, and the gamble appears to have paid off, if not for City.

"Man City have been trying to get him to sign a contract, even before the injury," Borson told Football Insider.

The World Cup suggested he has recovered fully. Last season suggested otherwise. Either way, City have basically lost the player for the best part of two years, and now his deal runs out in the summer of 2027.

A mediocre fee and a shrug

What grates is the financial mismatch. Real Madrid posted €1.2billion in revenue last season. City, by contrast, seem fairly relaxed about taking a mediocre fee and moving on.

Rodri's own words during the World Cup did little to calm the situation. Asked about his future, he said his only responsibility was staying focused, with anything else waiting until after the tournament. He then underwent minor back surgery following the final, leaving Enzo Maresca without his Ballon d'Or winner for pre-season.

It is a strange way for a love story to end. The loyalty was there, from one side at least. The other side simply chose a different path.