Rodri Not on the Market: Maresca Dismisses Real Madrid Rumors

Enzo Maresca didn’t just bat away the Rodri-to-Real Madrid rumours. He stamped on them.

On the eve of Manchester City’s friendly against Inter on their Asian tour, the Italian made it clear: Rodri is not on the market, not in his thoughts as a departure, and not the subject of any internal debate at the club.

“He is an important player for me, for the club and for everyone,” Maresca said, underlining a truth that barely needs repeating around City. Any coach in the world, he insisted, would want a player like Rodri. At the Etihad, he is the reference point, the metronome, the safety net.

Right now, though, he is also a patient.

Rodri’s recovery and the noise from Madrid

Rodri underwent back surgery on Monday. Maresca confirmed the operation went well and that the Spain international is now in full rest mode, with a return to Manchester pencilled in for next month once his holiday ends.

His season, mentally, had only really finished after the World Cup. The midfielder had thrown everything at that tournament, then stepped away to recharge. Maresca stressed that since then there have been no meetings with sporting director Hugo Viana specifically about Rodri’s future.

Everything else? “Mere speculation,” as the coach put it.

That hasn’t stopped Real Madrid watching closely. Rodri’s contract at City runs until the end of the 2026–27 season, but talks over a renewal have stalled, and that gap in the negotiations has opened the door to whispers from Spain. Madrid, under Jose Mourinho, are tracking him, with the added lure of a potential reunion with Bernardo Silva at the Santiago Bernabeu.

For now, it’s a waiting game in the Spanish capital. Reports indicate Madrid may hold off on a formal bid until Aurelien Tchouameni’s situation becomes clearer. City, contract in hand and time on their side, retain the right to reject any approach outright.

Rodri himself had said before the World Cup that he would clarify his stance on his future once the tournament ended. Since then, silence. No declarations, no hints, no fresh interviews. Just rehab, rest and the noise swirling around him.

City’s tour, new arrivals and a tired core

While Rodri recuperates, Maresca’s attention has shifted to the group in front of him on tour. It is a squad heavy on youth, light on some of its biggest names, and still feeling the after-effects of a brutal calendar.

Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes and Omar Marmoush are all due to join up with the team during the Asian leg, but none will feature against Inter. They arrive late, they rest, they wait.

“We currently have a large number of young players here,” Maresca said, content enough with the mix. Three more senior players join tomorrow, then the rest will drip back in as their holidays end. It is not ideal preparation, but it is the only sensible one.

Rest, Maresca stressed, is non-negotiable. Fifteen City players went to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Elliot Anderson also involved during the tournament. The physical and mental toll of that kind of schedule is obvious to anyone watching elite football closely.

“The more matches you play, the higher the likelihood of suffering injuries,” Maresca warned. Sixty or seventy games in a season without a problem? Unrealistic. The job now is not to eliminate injuries – that is impossible – but to limit them, to manage loads, to accept the reality and work within it.

City’s season will again be long, congested and unforgiving. Their midfield anchor is recovering from surgery, their stars are returning in waves, and Europe’s biggest club is circling one of their most important players.

Maresca’s message, though, cut through the speculation and the fatigue: Rodri remains central to everything City want to be. The question is not how badly Madrid want him, but how firmly City can hold their line when the real offers start to land.