Real Madrid are reportedly reconsidering their stance on roping in Manchester City superstar Rodri, who recently captained Spain to the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy.
Before the start of the FIFA World Cup in North America, Los Blancos were heavily linked with the Spain man. However, rumours regarding the La Liga outfit's interest in the 30-year-old died down after legendary head coach Jose Mourinho's arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu-based team.
Now, according to reputed reporter Matteo Moretto, Los Merengues have reignited their pursuit of Rodri following Spain's second FIFA World Cup triumph. The team's top brass are believed to have been impressed with the defensive midfielder's fine displays in this summer's tournament.
Rodri, whose Manchester City deal will expire next June, relished a decent season at club level in the 2025-26 campaign. He helped Manchester City win the FA Cup and EFL Cup last term, scoring twice in 33 total games.
The former Atletico Madrid ace managed to put his recurring injuries behind ahead of the summer showpiece and led Spain to a near-perfect FIFA World Cup win. He started all eight outings, winning the Golden Ball award.
Rodri, who won the Ballon d'Or ahead of Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham back in 2024, averaged a staggering 94.0 completed passes with a 93.2% accuracy. He won a tournament-high 26 tackles and 63.3% of his 60 ground duels, while helping Spain concede an incredibly low 2.37 xG.
Should the Manchester City star secure a switch to Real Madrid, he could prove to be a brilliant signing. He would be an improvement over Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, both of whom have struggled of late.
Since leaving Atletico Madrid in 2019, Rodri has represented Manchester City 298 times in all competitions. The Real Madrid transfer target has found the back of the net 28 times and laid out 32 assists for his club so far.
After Spain's 1-0 2026 FIFA World Cup final win over Argentina earlier this Sunday, Rodri revealed that he was surprised over being named as the Golden Ball winner. He told reporters (h/t FOX Sports):
The Real Madrid target is the first-ever Spanish recipient of the Golden Ball, while David Villa is the only other Spaniard to finish in a top three spot.
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