Manchester City nearing contract renewal for Rodri to fend off Real Madrid interest | OneFootball

Manchester City are pressing ahead with plans to secure Rodri to a new contract, determined to remove any possibility of losing arguably the world’s finest defensive midfielder to Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola has insisted on multiple occasions that the ‘best midfielder in the world’ must stay as long as possible, as City officials have been negotiating a contract renewal for several weeks and are now ready to accelerate the process to keep Rodri at the Etihad Stadium. Real Madrid have made no contact with City regarding a potential transfer, nor have they made any official move for the player—a significant detail that places Rodri considerably closer to a renewal than a departure at this stage.

Rodri is approaching the final year of his current deal, and the club are determined to avoid a scenario in which their most important player enters the final 12 months of his contract with the lure of the Santiago Bernabeu looming ever larger. The midfielder himself did little to quiet speculation earlier in the season. “You can’t turn down the best clubs in the world,” he said when pressed on Real Madrid’s interest, adding that he harbours a desire to return to La Liga before his career ends.

With John Stones and Bernardo Silva both expected to leave this summer, securing Rodri’s future would provide a crucial anchor of continuity around which Guardiola can build. The question is whether Rodri—openly torn between his affection for English football and his desire to return home—will ultimately agree. City believe he will; Madrid are banking on the possibility he will not.