Rodri switches his transfer plans as Barcelona joins Real Madrid in the fight for the Man City star
Manchester City midfielder Rodri might be having a change of heart about where he wants to play next, moving away from a return to his hometown Madrid.
He was expected to go back to Madrid after spending seven years at City, but this time with their local rivals, Real Madrid. However, recent reports from Spain suggest he’s now more open to joining Barcelona, last season’s La Liga champions.
Famous reporter Fabrizio Romano says Rodri has told Barcelona he’s willing to talk about a contract. But Barcelona is still cautious because Real Madrid is also interested, and Rodri hasn’t made a final decision with Manchester City yet.
Rodri missed most of the 2024/25 season due to an ACL injury and struggled again last season, playing only 21 Premier League games as City finished second without winning any trophies. But he looks back to his best now — he played every game as Spain won the World Cup, and he even won the tournament’s Golden Ball award.
After seven years and 298 appearances for Manchester City, Rodri is ready to leave. City wants to sell him since he has just one year left on his contract.
Before the World Cup final, Rodri said, “Right now, I have a contract with my club, and I want to decide what to do when it ends.”
Wherever he goes this summer, he will be remembered as a Manchester City legend, having won 13 trophies with the club. About moving to Spain, he told Spanish radio station Onda Cero, “I’d like to go back to LaLiga, for sure. It’s where I started. I still follow it, just not as much. But right now, I’m very happy here.
I have one year left on my contract, so at some point, we’ll need to sit down and talk.”
He also said, “You just can’t say no to the best clubs in the world.”
Last season, Barcelona beat their rivals Real Madrid by eight points to win La Liga. But Real Madrid hopes to come back strong with old manager Jose Mourinho and maybe Rodri playing a key role in midfield.