Florentino Perez does not want Manchester City ace at Real Madrid | OneFootball

Enrique Riquelme has made his plan of action very clear for his hypothetical presidency, and he has already locked in on some big names whom he plans to land.

One of the players he has in his sights is Manchester City’s Rodri – a player who has been linked with Real Madrid in recent years as well under Florentino Perez’s tenure.

As one of the best midfielders in the world and a Ballon d’Or winner, Los Blancos have long eyed him as a potential solution to their midfield crisis, and that is the point Riquelme is looking to sell to the club members.

Perez’s change in stance

While Perez’s board have shown interest in Rodri in the past, Matteo Moretto now confirms that the president does not want the player at Real Madrid anymore.

Riquelme has named Rodri as his marquee signing. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

In fact, he has even communicated to Manchester City that he does not have Rodri in his plans and that a move will thus not unfold if he is elected back to power.

At this point, Perez is focused on building a long-term project, and signing Rodri will only serve as a stopgap solution to a deep-rooted problem.

Instead, it is likely that Perez will look out for younger profiles, and there have been some interesting names mentioned.

PSG stars in the mix

Joao Neves, for starters, is a player Perez deeply admires and is reportedly one of the candidates he has his eyes on as a potential big money signing.

Perez highly rates Joao Neves. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

A second option that he fancies, despite not being young, is Vitinha who has also been linked with a move to the club for long.

Both players were crucial in PSG’s charge to a second straight UEFA Champions League title, and it will thus be complicated for Perez to sign either of the two stars. After all, the French side refuse to sell them for any price.