Pep Guardiola predicts Rodri’s Manchester City future amid Real Madrid transfer interest | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that the club’s position on Rodri’s future is unambiguous, insisting the Blues want the Ballon d’Or winner to remain at the Etihad Stadium.

The 29-year-old is approaching the final year of his current deal in Manchester and has attracted considerable interest from Real Madrid, having opened the door to a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in a recent radio interview that sparked widespread reaction within the game.

Manchester City have since submitted a formal contract offer to the Spain international, and Guardiola’s comments on Friday afternoon ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool leave no doubt as to where the club stand.

Guardiola: The club want Rodri to stay, stay and stay

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Guardiola was asked directly whether he believes Rodri will sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium.

“I know what the club wants, yeah,” the City manager said. “(They) informed to me what they want for Rodri. It’s stay, stay, and stay.”

Pressed on whether he personally believes Rodri will commit his future to the club, Guardiola added: “I think so. Always I have a positive (feeling) with that but at the end, I don’t know.”

Will Rodri stay at Manchester City?

Rodri has previously acknowledged that a move to Real Madrid is a possibility, admitting that he will need to “sit down and talk” about his future as his contract winds down – comments that set alarm bells ringing among supporters and prompted a significant response from within the Etihad Stadium.

The Madrid-born midfielder joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and has since established himself as arguably the finest holding midfielder in world football, winning four consecutive Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League before claiming the Ballon d’Or in 2024 – becoming the first player in the club’s history to do so.

City’s hierarchy are determined to keep hold of their most prized asset and have moved quickly to table a contract offer, though a decision from Rodri and his camp on whether to accept is not expected imminently, with the midfielder understood to be taking his time to weigh up his options as the end of the season approaches.