Rodri Moves Closer to Real Madrid Transfer as Manchester City Softens Stance

The long flirtation between Rodri and Real Madrid is accelerating towards its conclusion. In Spain, the deal is now being spoken about as a matter of “when”, not “if”.

According to Spanish outlet AS, both Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez and coach José Mourinho have given their approval for the signing of the 30-year-old Manchester City midfielder. The green light is there. Now everyone waits for the final handshake.

AS reports that an official announcement could arrive imminently, with talk of a “solution within the next 24 hours”. Club representatives from Madrid and Manchester are expected to meet on Thursday, a summit viewed in Spain as the decisive step to finally close a saga that has dragged on all summer.

A fee far below early expectations

The numbers tell their own story.

Early in the window, various reports suggested City wanted around €100 million for their midfield general. That figure now looks like a negotiating high point rather than a hard line. AS claims the current fee under discussion sits in the €40–50 million range, a sum Real Madrid are prepared to pay to bring Rodri to the Bernabéu.

If those figures hold, it would represent a significant climbdown from the initial demands attributed to City and a rare opportunity for Madrid: a world champion, still at the peak of his powers, at what would be considered a cut price in today’s market.

City’s resolve begins to crack

The shift in mood around the deal had already been flagged in Spain. Marca reported on Tuesday that Manchester City, who had initially appeared determined to keep the midfielder, were beginning to soften their stance.

The English champions, Marca wrote, “hold the player in the highest regard” but are prepared to accept his departure if that is what he wants. It is a simple equation: keep an unhappy player, or cash in while they still can.

City have spent recent months trying to extend Rodri’s contract, which currently runs until 2027. Those efforts have failed to produce an agreement. If they want to avoid a scenario where the Spaniard edges towards the final stretch of his deal and gains leverage to force a cheaper exit, this window offers their best chance to secure a substantial fee.

The pressure has shifted. City’s insistence has given way to pragmatism.

Rodri’s dream move within reach

On the player’s side, the direction of travel has never been a secret. Rodri has made it clear on several occasions that the idea of joining Real Madrid excites him. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has written that the midfielder would “love” the move and “dream” of pulling on the famous white shirt.

This is not a late change of heart. Rodri has been on Real Madrid’s radar for some time, earmarked as the ideal heir to a midfield that has defined an era. When he lifted the Ballon d’Or after a spectacular 2023/24 season and then starred at the 2026 World Cup, the noise around him and Madrid only grew louder.

For a club that once boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the symbolism was striking: the player many saw as the best in the world in his position, linked relentlessly with the very institution that had snubbed the award.

A return to Madrid – but across the divide

If the deal goes through, Rodri’s move would also be a return to familiar streets. He came through the youth ranks at Atlético Madrid and played for Los Rojiblancos in the 2018/19 season before heading to Manchester. The idea of crossing the city divide to join Atlético’s fiercest rivals adds a sharp edge to the story.

Back in March, in an interview that raised eyebrows in the Spanish capital, Rodri admitted that you “cannot just easily turn Real down” if they come calling. Those words now hang in the air like a prelude.

For Real, this is more than a marquee signing. It is the next phase of a carefully managed succession plan. With Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić approaching the twilight of their glittering Madrid careers, the club has long searched for a player capable of anchoring the midfield for the next generation. Rodri, a world champion and Ballon d’Or winner, fits that profile with unnerving precision.

City, meanwhile, face the prospect of losing the man who has been the metronome of their recent dominance. They have known this moment might come. They tried to head it off with a new contract. They could not change his mind.

Now the clock is ticking.

If Thursday’s meeting delivers what Spain expects, the Bernabéu will soon welcome a familiar face in unfamiliar colours – and the balance of power in European midfield battles may tilt once again.