Real Madrid working to sign Manchester City midfield general with renewal talks not progressing

Real Madrid are working to sign Manchester City’s midfield anchor Rodri, a move driven by his status as the newly crowned World Cup winner. David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that the Spanish club has launched an operation to secure the Spain international, though formal club-to-club negotiations have not yet started. At Valdebebas, officials are increasingly confident that an agreement can be reached, and the board is reportedly assuming Rodri will join before the end of the summer window. The pursuit marks a reversal from earlier planning at the Bernabéu, after Real had indicated Rodri was not part of their recruitment strategy. Rodri captained Spain through all eight matches, winning consecutive major tournament trophies and finishing as Golden Ball winner after Spain beat Argentina in the final. For Manchester City, Rodri’s contract runs until June 2027, with the final 12 months now active and no renewal interest shown by the player, while manager Enzo Maresca seeks to keep him for 2026-27.