Real Madrid have contacted Manchester City directly to deny reports of a pre-agreed transfer deal for Rodri, with senior figures at Valdebebas said to be furious over claims that personal terms had already been settled with the Spain international. Diario AS report that the club took the unusual step of calling City officials to clear the air and insist the reported agreement is completely unfounded.
Madrid Fuming Over Agreement Reports
According to AS, officials at Valdebebas describe the narrative linking Rodri to the Santiago Bernabéu as far removed from reality. The repeated circulation of reports suggesting a deal was close – without any actual contact having been made – left the board frustrated enough to pick up the phone to City themselves.
The denial is pointed and unusually active. Rather than simply issuing a dismissive statement, Los Blancos reached out club-to-club, a move that signals how seriously they view the reputational and diplomatic damage done by the rumour cycle. Whether that level of irritation also reflects an awareness that some figures inside the club would not entirely rule out a move is a question AS leaves open.
Mourinho’s Tactical Setup the Core Obstacle
The primary sporting argument against a move, AS report, is a mismatch between Rodri’s profile and what José Mourinho is building at Madrid. Mourinho is instilling a more direct, vertical style that moves away from the possession-heavy, short-passing game in which the City midfielder has always been most effective. That tactical incompatibility is, according to the report, the position of the club’s decision-makers rather than a minority view.
There is nuance here, though. AS acknowledge that certain members of the Bernabéu hierarchy do admire Rodri – his World Cup Golden Ball performance with Spain made that difficult to avoid – but those voices are described as a minority. The dominant institutional position is that he does not fit Mourinho’s current model. Real’s recent decision to
It is worth noting that . : reports circulate, the club pushes back, and the saga continues regardless.
City’s Position and What Comes Next
On the City side, the situation is more straightforward commercially. AS report that Rodri has rejected a new contract and is entering the final year of his deal, leaving the club prepared to listen to offers in the region of €60m. With Pep Guardiola gone and Enzo Maresca overseeing a transition, allowing an asset of Rodri’s stature to run down his contract is not an outcome City will want.
Complicating any potential move is Rodri’s fitness. He is set to miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign after back surgery, meaning any interested club – Madrid included, if their stance were ever to shift – would be acquiring a player unavailable for the opening weeks of the season. AS also report that Rodri himself desires a return to La Liga, though he has maintained a respectful public silence on the specifics. His World Cup campaign underlined why the interest exists at all, regardless of what Madrid say now.
