Real Madrid have been warned to not expect Rodri to join them if he chooses to leave Manchester City due to his preference for another Spanish club. Rodri is on the road back to his best after missing almost all of last season due to tearing his ACL and having repeated injury setbacks this campaign, boosting City’s bid to win the Premier League and go deep in the Champions League.
Rodri approaching final year of City contract
Rodri’s long-term future at City, however, is far from assured. He is soon to enter the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and Real Madrid have long been tipped as his next destination. Madrid are experts at convincing players to see out their contracts in order to move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer, as they have done with Kylian Mbappe, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Antonio Rudiger among others. But Spain legend Gaizka Mendieta believes Rodri might have another destination on his mind.
Mendieta: Rodri has big connection with Barcelona
Mendieta told BetBrothers: “When he does leave Man City I could see it being an agreement with the club, there is also a big connection there with Barcelona. There was Txiki Begiristain there and of course Pep Guardiola, but it would still be up to Rodri personally. I still think it would be hard for him to join Real Madrid.”
Rodri expected to stay at City
Mendieta predicts that Rodri will actually want to remain at City and get back to the form he was in just before he suffered his serious injury in 2024, one month before winning the Ballon d’Or.
He added: “Personally, I think it’s difficult to see that [him leaving] taking place, particularly figuring out Rodri, how he’s connected to the membership and every part else. It must be a really excessive state of affairs the place he’s form of pressured to go away relatively than leaving simply because he needs to. I feel he needs to remain there and desires to carry out to the extent he did when he was within the working for the Ballon d’Or and Champions League medals. So I feel as a participant that is his problem, and that is what he needs to show to himself and for the membership and the followers.”
Guardiola leaving would make Rodri rethink future
Mendieta, nevertheless, believes that there’s one factor that may make Rodri take into account his future in Manchester: Pep Guardiola leaving. There’s an expectation that the serial profitable coach might go away Metropolis on the finish of the marketing campaign, which is his tenth on the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola has refused to touch upon the hypothesis, pointing to the truth that he has one 12 months left on his contract.
He stated in December: “The final three or 4 years, each time throughout a sure, interval somebody asks me that query. Ultimately, once I’m 75 or 76, I’ll stop Manchester Metropolis. I perceive the query when I’ve the top of a contract (coming) however I’ve 18 months left and I’m so delighted and completely satisfied and excited concerning the improvement of the workforce and being there. That’s all I can say.
“That query occurs each single season at a sure level and I am OK. The membership and I are extremely related by way of the choices we have now to take and when it will occur, it will occur. There aren’t any discussions – finish of the topic. There aren’t any discussions. I cannot be eternally right here, however I’ve stated earlier than I cannot be right here without end. None of us will probably be without end on this world however there aren’t any discussions.”
Guardiola has gained six Premier League titles in eight makes an attempt with Metropolis in addition to capturing the membership’s first Champions League in 2023. His departure will inevitably go away an enormous shadow across the membership and Mendieta believes it might result in Rodri additionally leaving.
The previous Barcelona, Valencia and Middlesbrough midfielder added: “If there are to be any modifications, I feel the time will probably be when Pep leaves the membership for Rodri to consider his future too.”
