“Just knock on the door” – Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City will not stand in Rodri’s way if he wants to leave | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted he will not stand in the way of any player who wants to leave the club and confirmed the same principle applies to Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.

The 29-year-old is approaching the final year of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium and has attracted significant interest from Real Madrid after opening the door to a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in a recent radio interview that sent shockwaves through the club’s fanbase.

Manchester City have since submitted a formal contract offer to the Spain international, with Guardiola earlier on Friday confirming that the club’s position is an unequivocal desire for Rodri to remain – but the Catalan was equally clear that no player will ever be forced to stay against their will.

Guardiola: If a player is not happy, they have to leave

Asked whether his long-standing policy of never standing in the way of a player’s exit extends to Rodri, Guardiola was emphatic in his response.

“Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely,” he said. “The organisation of the club is above all of us and if one player is not happy, they have to leave, continue the same.

“Always I think he’s happy and hopefully he can be happy, but if he’s not happy just knock on the door of the sporting director, accept an offer, according to his incredible, incredible quality, and after that it all belongs to the club and himself.”

What is the wider context for Rodri’s future?

Rodri joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and has since become arguably the finest holding midfielder in world football, winning four consecutive Premier League titles and the Champions League before claiming the Ballon d’Or in 2024 – becoming the first City player to do so.

The Madrid-born star has acknowledged that a return to his hometown is a possibility as he enters the final stretch of his career, with Real Madrid understood to be monitoring his contract situation closely. City, however, remain hopeful that a new deal can be agreed and have moved quickly to table a formal offer in recent weeks.

Director of football Hugo Viana would ultimately be the figure Rodri would need to approach should he decide to pursue a summer exit – and Guardiola’s comments make clear that the door would not be slammed shut, provided the right offer arrives to reflect the midfielder’s standing as one of the best players in the world.