Real Madrid News
Real Madrid launch official approach for Manchester City maestro with €60 million valuation
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid have officially launched an opening approach to sign midfielder Rodri from Manchester City.
Following several weeks of internal discussions and analysis, club President Florentino Perez has given his definitive final approval for the Spanish giants to complete the transfer of the 30-year-old Spain international during the current summer window.
Financial parameters established
It is no secret that Florentino was not onboard for the signing for a while now, but Rodri’s performances at the World Cup, where he led Spain to the trophy and lifted the Golden Ball, have changed things at Real Madrid.
With the green light secured from the president and the boardroom, Real Madrid have communicated their formal interest directly to the executive hierarchy at Manchester City.
The Spanish capital heavyweights have indicated that they are fully prepared to pay more €50 million for the veteran star even though he is in the final year of his contract with the Premier League heavyweights.
The belief is that Real Madrid’s initial financial proposal could be positioned at around €60 million, a sum they believe fairly reflects the midfielder’s quality while also accounting for his contract situation.
Strategic priority for Mourinho
The formal push to sign the defensive anchor satisfies a primary sporting request from newly returned head coach Jose Mourinho.
The technical staff led by the Portuguese tactician views Rodri as an essential addition to provide tactical balance, central cover, and experienced leadership to the first-team squad.
The move has been accelerated by the midfielder’s personal situation; both Rodri and his family are originally from the Spanish capital, and the player has previously acknowledged the professional appeal of returning to his home country.
By launching a formal approach, Real Madrid aim to outmanoeuvre competing interest from clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, who had also requested information regarding the player’s availability.
The two clubs are expected to continue formal dialogue over the coming days to finalise the exact structure of the transfer fee and any performance-related variables before the player undergoes his medical protocols.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
