Real Madrid Plot £100m Swoop for Rodri in Move That Could Rock Pep Guardiola’s City Midfield
Real Madrid are cooking up a midfield heist. And the target? Manchester City’s unshakable anchor, Rodri.
In what could be one of the juiciest transfer stories of the summer, Los Blancos are reportedly ready to drop a £100 million bid to bring the Spanish midfield general back to the capital, this time, dressed in all-white at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Xabi Alonso Wants His Own Midfield Commander
New Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso isn’t here to play it safe. After getting picked apart by PSG’s midfield in the Club World Cup semi-final, Alonso has made strengthening his engine room a top priority. He wants Rodri and he wants him now.
Madrid’s 3-0 defeat to PSG exposed a serious lack of control and structure in the centre of the park. With Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabian Ruiz running the show, it became painfully obvious to Alonso that he needs a world-class midfield anchor. Enter: Rodri Hernández, the man who ran the show in the Premier League when fit.
Rodri’s Injury Shadow: A Gamble Worth Taking?
Rodri, 29, missed most of last season due to ACL and meniscus injuries, picked up in a tense 2-2 draw with Arsenal. He only returned near the end of the campaign, managing one start and three sub appearances in the Club World Cup, but had to limp off just 37 minutes into City’s shock loss to Al Hilal.
It’s a red flag but not a deal-breaker. Madrid are aware of the fitness doubts, and with his contract expiring in 2027, they could play the long game and come back next year when his price inevitably drops. But Alonso wants action now and is reportedly urging the board to test City’s resolve with a mega-money offer.
City’s Midfield Puzzle Without Rodri
Pep Guardiola knows the value of Rodri, he’s called him “one of the best players in the world” and a non-negotiable part of his system. And last season proved it. City stumbled in Rodri’s absence and eventually surrendered their Premier League crown.
City have tried to future-proof things. They brought in Nico Gonzalez from Porto for £50m, Tijjani Reijnders in January, and recently added Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan. But none of them quite scream “Rodri replacement.”
Madrid Dreaming of a Homecoming
Rodri is a Madrid native and a former Atletico Madrid man. He left for City six years ago in a £62.8m deal, but the idea of returning to his hometown and playing under Alonso at the Bernabéu, could be tempting.
He even scooped the 2024 Ballon d’Or despite missing the final three months of the year. That’s how good he was when fit.
So, can Madrid pull this off? Can they shake Pep’s midfield foundations and convince Rodri to switch the Etihad for the Bernabéu?
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