City are stalling on Real Madrid’s opening offer for Rodri.
They want other clubs to enter the race first.
Fabrizio Romano reports that City and Madrid held fresh talks on Thursday after Madrid tabled a verbal offer of around €50m (£43m) for the midfielder. City are expected to ask for more. They are understood to be buying time in the hope that rival bidders drive the price up.
They may not have long to wait. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have both been credited with checking on Rodri’s availability this week, lending weight to City’s belief that a genuine auction could develop.
Rodri enters the final year of his contract at the Etihad. He has spoken previously about his admiration for Real Madrid, and a return to Spain has long been viewed as a natural next step in his career.
His value has rarely been higher. The 30-year-old captained Spain to World Cup glory this summer and won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player, two years after his Ballon d’Or triumph.
The logic for City is clear. A player with one year left and no extension signed is a depreciating asset. Sell now, at a good price, or risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Their planning already reflects that. Talks continue over Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi as a long-term successor in midfield.
For now, City are holding out. Follow every twist of the window on our live Man City transfer tracker.
[Source: Fabrizio Romano]
