Real Madrid are preparing an opening bid in the region of £43m to £51m for Rodri. Manchester City still want to keep him, but the midfielder has one year left on his current deal and is recovering from back surgery, with a return expected before the end of August. The move is being pushed by price, timing and the fact that both clubs are already planning around the possibility.
The contract timeline
Rodri himself has said the discussion will come. Speaking to football365.com, he said: "There have been many players who've gone down that path. Not immediately, but over time. For me, you can't turn down the best clubs in the world. I've got a year left on my contract; the time will come when we'll have to sit down and talk."
That lines up with the reporting around the deal. Fabrizio Romano said Real Madrid and City were talking again on Thursday after starting on Wednesday, adding that Madrid had indicated they were prepared to pay around €50m, while City were likely to ask more.
Madrid’s price and City’s response
The fee picture is still unsettled. One set of reports puts Madrid’s opening bid at £43m to £51m, while Romano’s reporting pointed to around €50m. Other outlets have pushed the valuation higher, with City’s asking price reported at €75m and Madrid’s baseline estimate at €50m.
City’s stance is still resistance rather than surrender. The club have not agreed to sell, and Rodri’s contract position is exactly why Madrid can test them now. The player is also in a strong enough place, even while recovering, to keep the pressure on. He played 8 matches at the 2026 World Cup, logged 745 minutes and posted a 7.57 average rating.
Real Madrid’s interest also fits an odd sort of exception for Florentino Pérez. His old line on C. Makélélé was, "He wasn't a header of the ball and he rarely passed the ball more than three meters." Pérez has also said, "you always need more forwards." This chase goes against that habit, which is part of why it stands out.
There is also the wider squad picture. Madrid finished 2nd in La Liga in 2025 and 9th in the 2025 Champions League standings, so a midfielder who can control games is not a luxury purchase. City finished 2nd in the 2025 Premier League on 78 points, which is hardly a case for selling a player of Rodri’s stature, but it does explain why both sides are treating this as a serious negotiation rather than background noise.
City have also agreed personal terms with Ayyoub Bouaddi as a possible replacement, although that plan is still being reported rather than confirmed. That is where this sits now, with Madrid testing the market, City pushing back and Rodri’s contract ticking down.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
