Rodri's future has shifted fast. Reports linking him with Real Madrid are still around, but he is now set to undergo surgery on a back injury, with no clear timeframe for recovery. He also has just one year remaining on his Manchester City contract, which keeps the whole situation moving in different directions at once.

The Madrid link and the injury setback

Rodri had been in the middle of a very different story only recently. He starred in all eight matches as Spain won the 2026 World Cup and earned the Golden Ball, a reminder that his level was still high even with contract noise building around him. He logged 745 minutes in that tournament and posted a 7.57 average rating.

That makes the surgery update harder to ignore. The Athletic report says he is set to undergo surgery on a back injury, and there is no clear recovery timeline. That does not settle where he will play next, but it does complicate any move that might have depended on timing.

City's decision point

Rodri has said he wants to settle his contract situation when it ends. Speaking to mirror.co.uk, he said: "Right now, as I said before the World Cup, I have a contract at my club and it will be something I want to settle when it ends." He added that the final against Argentina would help him think through the decision.

For Manchester City, the issue is simple enough. They have a player with one year left on his deal, a major injury question and reports that Real Madrid remain interested. Florentino Perez has been named in some reports around a move, while other coverage has pushed back on the idea that the deal is approved or settled.

The club paid €70 million for Rodri in 2019, and this is the point where the contract clock starts to matter more than the headline noise. City can renew, sell or let the uncertainty linger, but the surgery news has made the timing far less convenient than it looked a week ago.

A lot can still change once the recovery picture becomes clearer. For now, the most concrete fact is that Rodri is headed for surgery, and his contract runs for one more year.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →