City’s hierarchy have been formally told where Rodri stands.
He has informed the club that he wants to join Real Madrid this summer, for sporting and family reasons, according to Ben Jacobs. A new contract, City had hoped, was still on the table. That now looks a dead end.
Real Madrid, for their part, are working the deal from their side. The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana report that no club-to-club talks have taken place yet, but Madrid are proceeding as though Rodri will be there for pre-season. That’s how confident they are.
Personal terms, according to Matteo Moretto, are already sorted. What’s left is the fee — and that’s where this gets interesting. Rodri has a year left on his deal. City can dig in and demand a proper number, or they can look at the alternative: another year of this saga, then losing him for nothing next summer. Neither is especially appealing.
Then there’s the surgery. Rodri needs an operation on his back this summer, and nobody’s put a date on when he’s fit again. For a club weighing up a fee, that’s not nothing.
Worth remembering: Real Madrid weren’t especially interested in Rodri a few months ago. It took a World Cup — captain, Golden Ball, the lot — to change their minds. Funny how that works.
City haven’t said anything publicly. Behind the scenes, this is now Enzo Maresca’s problem as much as anyone’s, working out what his midfield looks like if the reigning best player in the world walks out the door.
