Pérez Reportedly Against Spain Captain Joining Real Madrid

For the second consecutive summer, discussions are swirling around the potential transfer of Rodri, captain of the new world champions Spain and the best player at the 2026 World Cup, to Real Madrid. Fabrizio Romano has weighed in on the matter.

According to the transfer expert, the Manchester City midfielder is keen to return to his homeland and even dreams of a move to Real Madrid. His current club offered him a contract extension back in April, with his current deal expiring next summer, but Rodri has yet to agree to terms. On the other hand, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is reportedly the one blocking the 30-year-old's potential arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Should such a transfer for Rodri materialize in the future, it would be intriguing for several reasons. The midfielder is an academy product of city rivals Atlético Madrid, and after a spell at Villarreal, he played for Atlético's first team during the 2017/18 season before being sold to City for €70 million. Furthermore, in 2024, Real Madrid boycotted the Ballon d'Or ceremony precisely because the award went to Rodri instead of Vinicius Júnior. Additionally, the Spaniard was one of the star players that Pérez's opponent in the recent presidential elections, Enrique Riquelme, promised to sign if he had won the vote.