Rodri's Move to Real Madrid: Final Steps in Transfer Saga

Real Madrid’s long courtship of Rodri is reaching its decisive act. In Spain, the tone has changed from speculation to expectation.

According to AS, both Real president Florentino Pérez and coach José Mourinho have given their approval to move for the 30-year-old Manchester City midfielder, with all sides now braced for a swift resolution. The Spanish outlet even speaks of a “solution within the next 24 hours”, a sign of just how advanced the talks have become.

Club representatives from Madrid and Manchester are due to meet on Thursday, a summit that is widely viewed as the final step in a saga that has dragged through the summer. The feeling in Spain is clear: this is the meeting where the deal finally gets done.

A fee well below early demands

The numbers on the table have shifted dramatically. Initial reports across Europe floated a fee in the region of €100 million, said to be Manchester City’s starting position for a player they regard as one of the best in the world in his role.

AS now reports a very different landscape. The figure being discussed sits between €40 million and €50 million, a price Real Madrid are prepared to pay to bring Rodri to the Bernabéu. For a player of his pedigree, and in a market where elite midfielders rarely move cheaply, that range would represent a significant climbdown from City’s early stance.

Marca had already signalled the change in mood in Manchester earlier in the week. The paper wrote that the Premier League champions, who “hold the player in the highest regard”, are now ready to accept his departure if that is what he wants. For a club that has built so much of its recent success around his control in midfield, that softening is a major development.

Contract pressure and City’s last real window

The clock on Rodri’s contract adds a sharp edge to City’s decision. The Spaniard is tied to the club until 2027, and City have spent months trying — and failing — to secure an early extension on improved terms.

The risk is obvious. If they continue to resist a sale and cannot persuade him to renew, the leverage swings towards the player. This transfer window may be City’s best chance to secure a substantial fee rather than drift towards a cut‑price exit down the line.

For a club used to dictating the market, the dynamic is unusual. Yet the combination of the player’s stance and Real Madrid’s persistence has pushed City into a corner they rarely occupy.

A dream move for Rodri

On Rodri’s side, the direction of travel has never been subtle. The midfielder has repeatedly indicated he is open to a move to Real Madrid. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Rodri would “love” the switch and “dream” of wearing the famous white shirt.

Those words carry weight, not just because of the source, but because they echo what Rodri himself has said. In March, he admitted in an interview that you “cannot just easily turn Real down” if the club comes calling. When a player of his status speaks like that, clubs listen — and dressing rooms do too.

A return to Madrid, but across the divide

For Rodri, a move to the Bernabéu would be both a homecoming and a betrayal of old allegiances, at least in the eyes of some. He grew up in Atlético Madrid’s youth system and spent the 2018/19 season in the first team before heading to Manchester.

Now, after being named best player at the 2026 World Cup and winning the Ballon d’Or off the back of an extraordinary 2023/24 campaign, he stands on the verge of joining Atlético’s fiercest rivals. The irony is hard to miss: Real Madrid, the club that boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony, appear ready to build their next great midfield around the man who lifted the trophy.

For years, Real have been searching for the heir to their iconic duo of Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić. The links to Rodri go back to those first whispers around his Ballon d’Or triumph, when reports in Spain suggested Los Blancos had quietly identified him as the long-term successor to their legendary pairing.

Now that long-running plan is close to becoming reality. City have softened. Madrid have aligned president and coach behind the move. The player wants it.

All that remains is for Thursday’s meeting to turn years of admiration into a signature — and to answer a looming question: are Real Madrid about to secure the cornerstone of their next era of dominance?