Manchester City delay Real Madrid deal for Spain captain as they wait for Barcelona | OneFootball

After a tremendous World Cup campaign, the future of Rodri has become a major talking point in the transfer market, with Real Madrid, in particular, keen on acquiring his services.

Rodri’s contract at Man City expires at the end of next season and the departure of Pep Guardiola has put his future at Etihad in doubt.

Real Madrid are ready to snap him up this summer, as new coach Jose Mourinho desperately looks for reinforcements in the middle of the park.

Man City delaying Real Madrid deal

Rodri is keen on Real Madrid move. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Real Madrid are the undisputed favourites to sign Rodri, as the player himself is reportedly keen on the idea of playing for Los Blancos.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are intentionally delaying the negotiations with Real Madrid over Rodri.

That is largely because the Premier League giants believe Barcelona will soon join the race to sign the Spanish international this summer.

In case Barcelona enter the bidding war, it will be a net positive for Man City, as it might lead to a value for Rodri, who is thought to be worth around €60-75 million.

Can Barcelona fight Real Madrid for Rodri?

Is Rodri a good fit for Barcelona? (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It is clear that Barcelona, too, are interested in the services of Rodri. The club have been heavily linked with a move for the Spaniard in recent weeks.

With Frenkie de Jong out injured, Barcelona need a midfielder and Rodri fits the bill perfectly. His inclusion in the team, though, could affect the overall balance and could freeze de Jong out of the starting eleven, in the long run.

Keeping that in mind, it is unlikely Barcelona would want to go all out for Rodri, so much so that they enter a bidding war with Real Madrid.

It must be noted that the Catalans’ immediate priority is to sign a new centre forward, with Julian Alvarez still remaining their number one target right now.

The club are also grappling with the possibility of Ferran Torres’ departure, so the upcoming weeks could largely revolve around attacking reinforcements, more than anything else.