Real Madrid keen to sign want-away Ballon d’Or winner

As we approach the business end of the campaign, Real Madrid has already kick-started preparations for the season ahead.

One of the club’s priorities in the transfer market is to sign a new midfielder who can act as a real leader in the middle of the park.

Real Madrid, after all, are yet to find a replacement for the veteran duo of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. That is why the club have been linked with moves for multiple midfielders heading into the summer.

One of the players Real Madrid have been closely linked with is Manchester City ace Rodri.

According to MARCA, the Merengues are working on a deal to sign the Spanish international, in their bid to reinforce the midfield.

Rodri overnight became the number one antagonist at Real Madrid when he won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius Jr. in 2024. But things have since cooled down, to an extent.

Real Madrid identifies Rodri as a real leader, while his winning mentality, coupled with his ample experience at the highest level of football, makes him an ideal target for Los Blancos.

The report suggests Real Madrid are yet to make any tangible advances in their bid to sign Rodri in the coming summer.

However, if the Spanish international hands in a transfer request at Manchester City, the Premier League giants will allow him to leave the club.

Rodri, after all, has been a great servant for Man City over the years, having featured in almost 300 competitive matches since joining the club in 2019.

His price tag, though, could be a problem area, which is perhaps why Real Madrid are also looking at other options in the market, including Enzo Fernández of Chelsea.

Having seemingly returned to his ever-impressive standards of performance in recent weeks, Rodri himself has seemingly become more outspoken about his future, culminating in comments this week concerning the Bernabeu.

Rodri’s latest comments will ‘not come as much of a surprise’ to senior staff within Manchester City.

That is amid a consistent feeling that the midfielder ‘would like to end his playing days in Spain’, while the same club staff have ‘always suspected’ that Rodri would one day ‘yearn to return’ to Atletico Madrid, or move to Real Madrid.

Should Rodri indicate a desire to move on from his seven-season stay at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City officials are unlikely to stand in his way of an exit and facilitate a deal this summer for the right price.

However, the club’s priority will no doubt be to extend the Spain international’s contract, and reward him with a package that reflects his staggering achievements for the club, particularly since the Treble-winning campaign of 2022/23.

It remains to be seen whether there will be any other movement in the centre of midfield beyond Bernardo Silva and perhaps Rodri this summer, but City will be desperate to ensure it isn’t a high-profile triple exit added to by Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan’s own future at Manchester City remains in doubt over the ongoing international break, with reports in recent days suggesting that the 55-year-old would use the pause from club duties to reflect on his position at the Etihad Stadium.