Real Madrid News
Manchester City coach dismisses concerns over Real Madrid target’s future: ‘He will be back here with us’
Real Madrid have been looking for a controlling midfield presence for a long time now, and Manchester City’s Rodri has slowly but surely grown as their top target.
The Spanish veteran was not Florentino Perez’s preferred target for long, especially given his indirect links with Enrique Riquelme’s presidential campaign earlier this summer.
The player’s World Cup performances, however, gave rise to serious internal pressure on the Real Madrid president and he now seems to have given the green light for his arrival.
Earlier today, in fact, it even came to light that Los Blancos may be willing to sell Aurelien Tchouameni to fund Rodri’s arrival.
Maresca’s optimism
Manchester City’s new manager Enzo Maresca spoke about the World Cup Golden Ball winner in a recent interview via Ben Jacobs where he provided an update on Rodri’s future as well as his impending back surgery and his duration out of action.
“Around big players there is always speculation. I am not worried about that. It is normal. And they [Spain] won the World Cup, and he was the best player,” he began on the transfer links.
Notably, he then emphasised that the midfield star would return to training with them after his recovery, paying no heed to the transfer links with Real Madrid.
“Every manager wants to have Rodri because he’s a top player. But now it is surgery [on a back issue], I think on Monday, and then he needs a holiday and to rest and recover, and then he will be back here with us.”
Needless to say, Maresca’s words come as the biggest possible assurance that he remains part of Manchester City’s plans and that a move will not be as simple as expected.
Internal conviction on the deal
While Real Madrid were uncertain about the signing of Rodri for a long time, they are said to have finally reached a final decision in recent hours.
Indeed, Los Blancos have decided to sign the midfielder and that there is no longer two ways about it.
What works in the Merengues’ favour is that Rodri has just one year left on his contract in England, putting Manchester City in a weak negotiating spot. Should the right offer arrive, it will be almost impossible for them to turn it down.
Rodri’s surgery, however, will raise mild concerns at the Spanish capital given that the player will miss the opening weeks of the new season through the same if he makes the transfer.
After three successive wins to start the season, a 1-0 loss to Real Betis came as a reality check for Real Madrid, who are still some way off matching the quality and consistency of Barcelona.
In light of the defeat, the Real Madrid coaching staff is analysing the best way to get the most out of the current setup.
More expected from Valverde
According to Defensa Central, one of the key conclusions drawn from the Betis defeat is that Real Madrid need greater involvement from Federico Valverde with the ball.
The Uruguayan has been deployed as the pivot, largely due to the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni, but he is yet to make the step up in quality the team requires from that role.
While his effort and commitment are never in doubt, Mourinho and his staff, led by Sami Khedira, feel Valverde spends too much time positioned behind the opposition’s midfield line.
As a result, he fails to offer passing lanes to his teammates when they are under pressure, forcing them into hurried, aimless clearances rather than playing out cleanly from the back.
That concern has already been communicated to Valverde, who is still adapting to a position he has never truly played, making the challenge all the more difficult for him.
A collective issue to fix
However, the problem is not Valverde’s alone, with the coaching staff identifying a wider issue in the team’s structure.
Khedira has reportedly noted a certain passivity from the attackers in the videos of the match, particularly Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, when it comes to offering themselves as the ball transitions from midfield into attacking areas.
That lack of movement compounds the difficulties for the deeper midfielders.
Mourinho, for his part, remains unfazed by the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, insisting his squad has the tools to cope.
“I’m not missing Rodri. We have solutions, we have quality,” the Portuguese said, before adding that he backs his ability to improve players.
With a Champions League opener against Inter Milan on the horizon, Mourinho and his staff will be keen to iron out these issues quickly.
