Real Madrid plot sensational Rodri swoop to threaten Manchester City renewal hopes | OneFootball

Real Madrid are optimistic of their chances to pull off a sensational deal to bring Manchester City’s Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to the Santiago Bernabeu, as per a new report.

The European giants have made it a habit of signing some of the world’s best players at the end of their contracts for free, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Trent Alexander-Arnold recent examples.

Madrid have held a long-standing interest in Manchester City and Spain international Rodri, who has established himself as arguably the world’s best holding midfielder since moving to the Etihad Stadium from Atletico Madrid in 2019.

Rodri led Manchester City to four successive Premier League titles between 2021-24 and was instrumental in the club’s premier UEFA Champions League title win, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 final victory over Inter Milan in 2023 in Istanbul to etch his name in City history.

The 28-year-old was voted the best player of the tournament after leading Spain to European Championship glory last summer, which saw him become the first player in Manchester City history to win the Ballon d’Or.

After recovering from an ACL injury that kept him on the sidelines for nearly the entirety of the season just gone by, Rodri made his long-awaited return to action in the final Premier League home game of the season against Bournemouth in May.

City have flown out to the United States this week and Rodri is expected to make his first start since his return to full fitness in the upcoming group-stage games, with the Blues facing Wydad AC in the Club World Cup opener next week.

The quartet of June signings – Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki – have also entered the door in time for the Club World Cup and will get their first taste of life in a Manchester City shirt in the next 30 days in the United States.

As reported by AS and relayed by Sport Witness, Real Madrid retain hopes of tempting Rodri to swap the Etihad Stadium for the Santiago Bernabeu as the Spaniard enters the last two years of his current deal at Manchester City.

City are understood to have prioritised contract renewal talks with Rodri in the coming months and are expected to tie down the Ballon d’Or holder to a lucrative, long-term contract ahead of the new season.

A return to the Spanish capital would be an attractive proposition but Rodri is as settled as a foreign player can be in Manchester and has no plans to call it quits in England anytime soon. City have laid down an early marker in the June transfer window and Rodri will be aware that Manchester is the place to be to challenge for the biggest prizes as he approaches 30.

City are aware of Rodri’s importance and the significant drop-off in results last term can partly be attributed to the absence of one of their most important players, who has been the fulcrum of the side and will be an integral part in their journey ahead.