Real Madrid News
Real Madrid offered €45 million for Barcelona-bound superstar – report
Once it emerged that Rodri would not be signing a new contract at Manchester City, it quickly became clear that he wanted to return to Spain and preferably play for Real Madrid.
Los Blancos and Florentino Perez were initially apprehensive about making a move before deciding to go in and sign the midfielder.
However, simultaneously, Barcelona also positioned themselves to sign the Spaniard following Frenkie de Jong’s injury.
Eventually, Hansi Flick and the Spanish stars at Barça managed to convince Rodri to play for the Catalans, with the 30-year-old rejecting Madrid.
Now, according to Juanfe Sanz Perez on El Chiringuito TV, Madrid actually made a bid and put €45 million on the table for the 30-year-old midfielder.
Madrid made their move for Rodri
Madrid’s interest in Rodri was more than simply exploratory.
The club were prepared to make a significant financial commitment to bring the Spain international to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rodri’s quality and experience made him an obvious candidate to strengthen a midfield undergoing considerable change under Jose Mourinho.
However, the pursuit ultimately went nowhere, with the midfielder deciding that Barcelona would be his preferred destination.
The reported €45 million offer is particularly interesting given Manchester City’s demands for the player and the eventual fee Barça paid to sign him.
It seems like a classic case of Madrid testing the waters with a bid just to see what kind of demands the English club were placing.
Rodri ultimately preferred Barcelona
Madrid’s failure to land Rodri was not simply about finances.
The midfielder is said to have received similar financial proposals from both Spanish giants, but it is the sporting project that tipped the scales in the Catalan club’s favour.
Despite the fact that he is the exact profile Madrid’s midfield is lacking, Real Madrid did not really go into the negotiations with much conviction.
Barça, on the other hand, had a clear role outlined for him, with Flick entrusting him as a leader in an otherwise very young dressing room.
Rodri would have offered Mourinho an experienced controller capable of immediately becoming an important part of the midfield, but it was not to be.
Madrid might not have gone for him at any cost
There is another side to the story, however.
Real Madrid’s willingness to offer €45 million does not mean the club were prepared to enter an open-ended bidding war for a player who has already turned 30.
Rodri is unquestionably an elite midfielder, but Madrid also have to consider the age profile of their squad and the long-term value of major investments.
Once Barcelona became the player’s clear preference and Manchester City’s valuation remained considerably higher, continuing to push the operation would have become increasingly difficult.
Ultimately, it was a transfer deal that was not meant to be, and Madrid will be hoping to get the better of him when they face him in the Clasico later this season.
Jose Mourinho has not spent the summer giving too much away about his preferred Real Madrid XI.
Pre-season minutes have been shared, experiments have been made, and several players have been given the chance to stake their claim.
But beneath those changes, a hierarchy is already beginning to emerge.
According to AS, four outfield players have established themselves as Mourinho’s untouchables, namely, Yan Diomande, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.
Add Thibaut Courtois, the undisputed No. 1, and the new Real Madrid manager already appears to have the spine of his strongest team in mind.
Mourinho’s Real Madrid attack has its hierarchy
The interesting part is that Mourinho has reached this conclusion without heavily relying on his biggest names during pre-season.
Diomande, Bellingham and Mbappe have each made just one appearance, while Vinicius featured three times across Real Madrid’s four pre-season matches.
Their limited minutes, however, have not changed their place in the manager’s thinking.
For what it is worth, the pre-season preparation has been used to assess alternatives, not necessarily to decide who Mourinho trusts most.
The manager has already seen enough of his key players and appears to have entered the new campaign with a clear attacking group in mind.
Mbappe is expected to remain the central reference point in attack, while Vinicius provides one of the team’s most dangerous outlets from the left. Diomande, Real Madrid’s most expensive signing, is also in Mourinho’s plans, giving the manager another player he sees as central to the new-look frontline.
Then there is Bellingham.
His place may be the most interesting because Real Madrid now have a player pushing hard for the same role.
Guler has impressed, but Bellingham is the first choice
Arda Guler has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Real Madrid’s pre-season preparations.
The Turkish international has started all six matches and registered two assists, making a strong impression in the attacking midfield role.
It is a position where he has looked increasingly comfortable, operating between midfield and attack and getting closer to the forwards.
Mourinho has clearly found a role that suits Guler, but the problem for the 21-year-old is that the same position is expected to belong to Bellingham when the Englishman is fully available.
Simply put, Guler’s opportunities in that advanced role will largely depend on the minutes Bellingham leaves available.
Samuel
August 18, 2026 at 9:25 am
Rodri is already declining and will not offer much to whatever club he will be playing for from next season, even €45m is too much for a 30 years old player who already is passed his peak. It’s much better to buy a young player who will add value to the club even if he will cost much more.