Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set to make first offer for Rodri as Manchester City stance emerges
It is no secret right now that Real Madrid are going all out to try to sign Rodri from Manchester City this summer.
The Spanish midfielder himself has been quite intent on making the move for some time now, and it is only now that Florentino Perez has provided the green light for Los Blancos to make an offer.
Real Madrid established contact with the Premier League club to understand the conditions of the deal and how much the transfer fee could be.
Now, according to Lyall Thomas on Sky Sports, Real Madrid are expected to step up their pursuit of Rodri and are ready to make their first official offer to Manchester City.
Manchester City want to keep Rodri
Despite Real Madrid’s growing interest, Manchester City are not looking to part ways with one of their most influential players.
The Cityzens want Rodri to remain at the Etihad Stadium and are hoping the World Cup-winning captain will sign a new contract.
His current deal has one year remaining, meaning they must soon decide whether to renew his contract or risk entering the final months of his agreement.
That contract situation has naturally created an opportunity for Real Madrid to test Manchester City’s resolve.
From the Cityzens’ perspective, their stance is understandable. The club have already lost Bernardo Silva and Pep Guardiola this transfer window.
Adding Rodri to that list would leave new manager Enzo Maresca without a stable foundation to work with, and that could be a recipe for disaster.
Real Madrid’s interest continues to grow
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have made Rodri their priority midfield target. The club have already agreed personal terms with the midfielder, although negotiations between the two clubs remain the biggest hurdle.
Should Los Blancos pull it off, it would be a defining move for the club this season.
Very few players can change the perception of a team like Rodri can, and he would make that midfield so much better than it is currently.
The 30-year-old would bring leadership, elite defensive awareness and exceptional control in possession to a midfield already blessed with physicality.
On paper, this looks like the dream signing for Los Blancos, and it remains to be seen how negotiations with Manchester City play out.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid weighing up January move for €70 million-rated Arsenal midfielder – report
Real Madrid’s midfield is the one department where Jose Mourinho sees clear scope for improvement, especially given that the club did not sanction his wish for a top midfield signing in the summer.
While Bernardo Silva has chipped in as a handy option to feature in the deep midfield, the club still lacks a controlling and creative option who can glue the team together.
In that sense, there is a clear lacuna that Real Madrid need to address and Defensa Central brings to light that the club have opened up to a potential target.
Zubimendi emerges as a target
Indeed, the player in question is Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi who the club have seen as a target for a long time, and Real Madrid could even go on to sign him in January.
The Spanish international has not started off the new season well under Mikel Arteta and has primarily featured as a substitute. He does, thus, see a move to Madrid with good eyes in every sense.
Real Madrid, for their part, have not ruled out his signing as was reported in recent months and there is even a chance they seriously pursue him in the winter transfer window as a mid-season fix.
The possible fee
The Spanish outlet also add that Zubimendi’s move to Real Madrid could be completed for a fee similar to what Arsenal paid for the player for his transfer from Real Sociedad – €70 million.
Mourinho’s insistence on making a new midfield signing is no secret, and with a clear target now in mind, the board could well back him with the player he wishes.
Notably, however, even Chelsea are seriously interested in his signing.
So far, Federico Valverde has been Real Madrid’s mainstay in midfield, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return will change the team’s dynamics in the department.
Neither player, however, offers the control and distribution skill set that the team direly lack.
A big part of whether or not the club pushes for Zubimendi, however, will depend on how the Valverde-Tchouameni combination plays out in the coming months. It is, after all, the manager’s first-choice combination for big games.
