Rodri issues bombshell come-and-get-me plea to Real Madrid as ‘weakness’ at Man City revealed

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·26 March 2026

Rodri issues bombshell come-and-get-me plea to Real Madrid as ‘weakness’ at Man City revealed

Manchester City star Rodri has issued a bombshell transfer statement amid interest from Real Madrid and insists his past allegiances won’t stop him joining Los Blancos when his contract has just one year left to run in the summer.

Rodri has established himself as one of the best footballers in the world in his time under Pep Guardiola, winning the Ballon d’Or in 2024 and nine major trophies, including his fourth Carabao Cup last Sunday as he starred in the 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley.

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The 29-year-old missed most of last season and a big chunk of the current campaign with a cruciate ligament injury but looks to be approaching something like his best form ahead of the World Cup.

And while on international duty with Spain, who host Serbia and Egypt in friendly fixtures in preparation for FIFA’s showcase summer tournament, Rodri revealed he will “obviously” return to La Liga at some stage and hinted that move could be made at the end of the season as he’s been “pushed to the limit” in the Premier League.

Asked if he would like to return to La Liga, Rodri told Spanish radio station Onda Cero: “I’d like to return, yes, obviously.

“For me, La Liga is where I started. I still follow it, it’s true not as much as before, but I still follow it.

“And I have to admit that the Premier League is my weakness. I think it’s a thrilling league but at the same time very demanding, meaning it pushes you to the limit. I’ve been there for seven years now, and I’m noticing the passage of time, but for the moment I’m very happy there.

“I’m currently recovering from an injury, and what worries me right now is my feeling, my level, how to get back to my previous level. Not the contract issue, that will come, especially with a World Cup coming up, which is crucial for reaching my level.

“Right now I’m free, well, obviously I have a year left on my contract, obviously there will be a point where we’ll have to sit down and talk, have a conversation.”

Real Madrid have consistently been linked with a move for Rodri over the last couple of seasons, and the midfielder was asked if he would turn down a move to Los Blancos having already played for Madrid rivals Atletico.

Rodri replied: “No, I mean, there have been many players who have gone down that path, right? And especially not directly, but over time.

“I mean, for me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.

“They have a fanbase that really goes all out for them, and for me, the Bernabeu is always incredible, a stadium that’s very imposing.”

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Man City could approve transfer with Real Madrid ‘serious’

last month that Real Madrid are prepared to make a serious move to bring Rodri to the Bernabeu, with the club hierarchy increasingly concerned over a dearth of leadership in their ranks.

We understand that senior figures at the Bernabeu feel the squad needs greater stability, experience and a commanding presence, particularly with the possibility of a new head coach arriving this summer. The club want harmony restored, and they see a new “captain‑figure” as essential to that rebuild.

Madrid view Rodri as the ideal on‑pitch general – someone capable of anchoring the midfield and commanding the dressing room in the way their past legends once did.

It’s a move City could be open to with Rodri set to enter the last year of his deal at the Etihad at the end of the season, by which time he will have turned 30, with no suggestions that extension talks have been reopened after both player and club agreed to put talks on hold as he recovered from his knee injury.