Not Rejecting Real Madrid, Rodri Ready to Leave Man City
JAKARTA - Manchester City will be left behind by midfielder Rodri. The mystery of the 29-year-old midfielder's future is getting more open when he says he will not reject an offer from Real Madrid who have long wanted to bring Rodri.
Rodri left Spain after Man City brought him from Atletico Madrid. Rodri was also the right purchase from manager Pep Guardiola. Once he moved to Man City in 2019, Rodri immediately played a big role in winning various trophies.
He led the Cityzens to four consecutive English Premier League titles. A record that is difficult for clubs to match when the highest class competition turned into the Premier League in the early 1990s.
Not only that, Rodri also led Man City to win the Champions League trophy for the first time in the club's history in 2023. Man City won 1-0 over Inter Milan and Rodri scored the only goal in the match.
The success was complete because Man City won the treble by winning the English League and the FA Cup, as well as equaling the record of their one-city rival, Manchester United, who did it in 1999.
Rodri also made an impressive achievement by winning 12 major trophies with Man City. During his almost 300 appearances with Man City in various competitions, he has bagged 28 goals and 32 assists.
Rodri also confirmed his important role in the midfield of the team. It is no wonder that Guardiola admitted that the absence of the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner greatly affected Man City's game.
Rodri did experience a decline due to the ACL injury he suffered in September 2024. The injury forced him to step aside and rest for 18 months.
However, he immediately returned to being the first choice after recovering from injury. Rodri was also an important part of Man City when winning the English League Cup after defeating Arsenal 2-0 in the final.
Rodri's consistency in the English League has made Madrid interested in bringing him back to Spain. On the other hand, the Madrid-born midfielder did not deny that he had received an offer to join Madrid.
"Do I want to play again in Spain? In LaLiga, with Real Madrid? I would certainly answer firmly, 'Yes'. You can't refuse an offer from the biggest club in the world," Rodri said as quoted by Sportmole.
"Real Madrid is indeed the biggest club. It doesn't matter if they come to the match in good or bad condition, Real Madrid is still Real Madrid. The door is never closed [for Real Madrid]," he said again.
Rodri's statement, who is undergoing Spain's national team training for the friendly matches against Serbia and Egypt, immediately sparked speculation that he would leave Man City.
Moreover, his contract at the club is only 12 months left. There is no choice for Man City except to renew Rodri's contract if they don't want to lose a player who Guardiola considers 'irreplaceable'.
If they don't extend the contract soon, then the club will definitely sell Rodri in the summer transfer market.
The card is still in Man City's hands. However, if they do not sell or extend the contract immediately, Man City is threatened with losing Rodri without getting a penny if he leaves the Etihad.
The reason is that Rodri is already a free transfer in December. He is free to negotiate with any club without the involvement of Man City.