City Face a Defining Decision on Rodri's Future
With under a year left on his contract, Rodri's future at Manchester City is far from certain. Real Madrid are pushing hard to bring the Spanish midfielder back to the capital, and the clock is ticking.
Sky Sports have reported that a bid in the region of £50million is expected but is yet to materialise. Forbes, however, claim that City have set their selling price for the 30-year-old at £75million. That gap is significant, and it leaves the Blues in a tricky spot.
Rodri has just turned 30, and his contract expires in June 2027. If City don't sell now, they risk losing him for nothing in a year's time. But selling a player of his calibre is not a decision to be taken lightly, especially given what he has meant to this side.
Injury Woes and a Reduced Role
The 2025/26 campaign was a difficult one for Rodri on a personal level. After returning from a lengthy lay-off with a ruptured ACL, he suffered several injuries last season. Since his comeback in the penultimate league game of the 2024/25 season, he has been sidelined for 134 days, missing 27 games combined for club and country.
His league appearances tell the story: just 21 in the Premier League, averaging 72 minutes per game. That is the lowest number of league appearances he has recorded over a season, barring the campaign he ruptured his ACL, since his breakout season at Villarreal a decade ago.
To add to the concerns, Rodri has also undergone back surgery since Spain's World Cup final victory, which will likely see him miss City's opening fixture against Bournemouth.
The Madrid Factor
Real Madrid's interest is not new. Rodri openly courted them last season, saying in an interview whilst on international duty with Spain: 'I'd like to return, yes, obviously. For me, LaLiga is where I started. I still follow it, it's true not as much as before, but I still follow it.'
Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, came under fire during the World Cup due to Spain having no representatives from the country's most successful team. The club's recent transfer strategy has been to snap up top talent on frees, with Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate all arriving without a fee in the past few seasons. They clearly see an opportunity here.
According to Forbes, Madrid don't want to pay over £50million for Rodri. That is well below City's valuation, and it is hard to see the Blues budging easily.
Looking Ahead
If City do decide to cash in, they would be miraculously recording a profit on a player they signed as a 23-year-old for £62.8 million. That is not a bad return, even if it feels like selling the family silver.
There are options out there. Elliot Anderson, an impressive midfielder who shone for Nottingham Forest last season and England over the summer, is one name being mentioned. Per 90 minutes of league football last season, he made more tackles, interceptions, blocks, dribbles and won more duels than Rodri, though he doesn't match him in areas such as passing and aerial prowess.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is another. The incredibly talented holding player started five of Morocco's six World Cup matches after a fantastic breakout season for Lille, and rumours spreading across social media claim his transfer to Manchester will likely cost City over £85million.
The coming weeks will be telling. Whether City hold firm on their £75million valuation or accept something closer to Madrid's offer, one thing is certain: this is a decision that will shape the midfield for years to come.