ESPN: Man City want Rodri to stay and extends contract, valuing him at 70 million euros

According to ESPN, after Rodri led Spain to win the World Cup, both Barcelona and Real Madrid want to sign the Manchester City midfielder this summer, with Manchester City's asking price potentially reaching up to 70 million euros.

The 30-year-old captain not only led Spain to defeat Messi's Argentina in the World Cup final, adding another trophy to Spain's European Championship win two years ago, but also won the Golden Ball award for the tournament.

Rodri won 13 trophies during his seven years at Manchester City, including four Premier League titles, and scored the winning goal in the 2022-2023 Champions League final. The following year, he won the Golden Ball, further solidifying his position as one of the world's top midfielders.

Rodri grew up in the Villarreal and Atlético Madrid youth systems, making over 120 appearances for both clubs before joining Manchester City in 2019.

Now, he has become a national hero, and with only one year left on his contract with Manchester City, a return to La Liga seems increasingly likely. However, where will he go? Will he stay in Manchester for another year, or even longer?

Rodri has long been considered the ideal long-term successor to Sergio Busquets. Busquets left Barcelona in 2023 to join Messi at Inter Miami and retired last year. However, Barcelona had no intention of signing Rodri at the beginning of this summer.

However, as the deal became more feasible, Flick and sporting director Deco became increasingly eager to acquire him.

Last week, after Barcelona entered the midfield transfer market due to De Jong's injury, they learned that Rodri would prioritize them over Real Madrid. It has become increasingly clear that Rodri wants to return to Spain at some point, but it was widely assumed that it would be Real Madrid. However, after winning the World Cup with eight Barcelona players, coupled with his attraction to Flick's playing style and advice from several Catalans who worked at Manchester City over the past 10 years, his thoughts began to lean towards Barcelona.

Club sources confirm that Rodri and Barcelona have reached an initial agreement on personal terms, and it is now increasingly believed that Barcelona will sign the former Villarreal and Atlético Madrid player. The remaining hurdle is reaching an agreement with Manchester City. After Barcelona's first offer was rejected, sources added that both sides are still negotiating the final package, which could be up to 70 million euros.

Of course, the situation could change quickly. But currently, Barcelona firmly believes that Rodri will add another player to their already talented midfield, which also includes Pedri, Gavi, Bernal, Fermín López, and Olmo. The impact of De Jong's return from injury will also be the next big question. However, the club believes that signing Rodri will take precedence over bringing in a center-back, although signing a defender has not been completely ruled out, which would help Flick's team take another step forward in Europe. Barcelona is eager to convert two consecutive La Liga titles into their first Champions League trophy since 2015.

The story of Real Madrid and Rodri has been quite convoluted, and last week the path suddenly turned from the Bernabéu to Barcelona.

For months, club sources had insisted that the Spanish captain was not on their summer transfer list. This was despite him perfectly fitting the requirements in many ways: one of the best in the world in his position, only one year left on his contract, born in Madrid, and able to solve many of the team's problems.

Sources said that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had doubts about Rodri's injury record, while coach José Mourinho preferred to sign a different type of player. The Manchester City midfield maestro was not on Real Madrid's midfield shortlist, and renewing Tchouameni was seen as a vote of confidence in an internal solution.

But Rodri's excellent World Cup performance dispelled doubts about his form and physical condition, forcing the Bernabéu to change its mind. ESPN learned last month that Real Madrid general manager José Ángel Sánchez and chief scout Juni Calafat were already willing to bring him in.

Since then, confidence has grown. By the end of July, some club sources were optimistic about signing him. Rodri wanted to go home, but sources told ESPN that Manchester City wanted to bring in another midfielder first, and the Premier League club had not yet agreed on a transfer fee.

There was no new news in the following days. Real Madrid was busy with other matters, negotiating with Jan Diomande and discussing Vinicius Júnior's contract renewal. Sources said that Real Madrid remained calm at the time because they believed Rodri wanted to come and the deal would eventually happen.

But on Wednesday evening, the situation suddenly changed. Sources said that Barcelona was also interested in Rodri. Not only that, but it was also said that the chances between Real Madrid and Barcelona were now fifty-fifty. Rodri was open to both options.

A day later, the situation worsened: Real Madrid believed they were out of the race. It was said that Rodri felt Real Madrid's doubts about him, including Mourinho's, had never completely disappeared; in contrast, Flick had called him directly to explain his plans.

Sources said that Real Madrid was willing to make a final push, but they thought it might be too late. Rodri had already made up his mind, and those close to him were also disappointed that Real Madrid had not finalized the deal sooner.

Unless there is another unexpected reversal, Rodri is no longer an option for Real Madrid. Real Madrid must decide whether to pursue another player or maintain the current squad. It is not yet known who that person will be; there are also reports that Mourinho has identified Bernardo Silva as one of the midfield options, to partner with Tchouameni or Valverde.

Publicly, Manchester City's stance, conveyed through coach Enzo Maresca, is simple: Rodri is a key player, and they want him to stay and sign a new contract.

But privately, the situation is more complex.

Manchester City knew early on that Rodri wanted to return to Spain someday. This was partly why they signed Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United in 2022, although that deal was not successful.

Over the years, Manchester City has had a principle: they will not force players who want to leave to stay. Coupled with Rodri's age, recent injury record, and contract situation, these are all factors to consider. His contract expires next summer, and he can leave the Etihad Stadium for free 12 months later.

If Barcelona or Real Madrid make another offer exceeding 70 million euros, Manchester City will likely sit at the negotiating table. Manchester City will not accept a low price, and they must also consider who can succeed him. With lingering doubts about the futures of Reijnders and Nico González, Manchester City's midfield may need significant reinforcement before the transfer deadline.

Elliott Anderson has joined from Nottingham Forest, and the club is also in talks with Lille about bringing in Moroccan World Cup dark horse Ayyoub Bouaddi, but if Rodri leaves, they will need more additions. What is certain is that Manchester City will not want Maresca to be short on personnel and quality in this key position before an already difficult transition period after Guardiola's 10 years in charge.

Currently, Manchester City's attitude is relatively relaxed. They have not yet received what they consider a suitable offer, so for now, they can only wait. The club has started to scout potential targets in case Rodri leaves. Within the Etihad, more and more people believe he is likely to go, but ultimately it depends on whether Barcelona or Real Madrid can come up with the money.

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