Real Madrid set €60 million spending cap for top midfield target, price tag set at €100 million | OneFootball

The past 24 hours have seen the mood around Rodri’s transfer news to Real Madrid fluctuate between optimism and pessimism.

There is no doubt that the player is rated highly by the Real Madrid management and represents their best chance for the club to fill the exact void they have in midfield.

Florentino Perez, however, has been personally blocking the move citing Rodri’s age and recent injuries as concerns. Yesterday there was word that he had finally been convinced to give the green light, but it soon came to light that it was a false alarm.

A question of price

The first step towards signing Rodri for Real Madrid involves the club president handing the green light to the move. That, however, will not be the end of the road.

Perez’s approval is still needed. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

As reported by L’Equipe, there is a massive discrepancy between Manchester City’s asking price and Real Madrid’s spending limit – one that cannot be overlooked even if the clubs begin negotiations.

Manchester City ask for €100 million for their veteran midfielder, especially after his Golden Ball-winning performance at the FIFA World Cup. His valuation is at an all-time high, and they are intent on capitalising on the same.

Los Blancos, however, refuse to spend more than €60 million to sign Rodri and have their spending limit set on the player. The €40 million difference, needless to say, cannot be overlooked.

A sense of urgency

The French outlet also further states that Real Madrid are now preparing to launch an attack for the Spaniard and that things have changed with respect to Perez’s stance. He was not fully convinced, but matters are beginning to take a turn.

Rodri could be a Toni Kroos replacement. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

For starters, the club now believe that its ‘absolutely necessary’ to sign a player for the ‘Toni Kroos’ role.

While that includes marshalling the troops and dictating the flow of the game through the middle, it also involves the leadership aspect Kroos used to provide.

In that sense, there is an understanding that Rodri is the right player to fill that void, but only if he arrives at the right price.

The coming weeks will be critical in putting an end to the saga one way or the other.