Real Madrid's Radical Change of Stance on Rodri

Spain v Argentina: Final - FIFA World Cup 2026

What happened at the World Cup was the turning point

Rodri's future remains wide open. The Spain captain has yet to settle on his next destination, with his Manchester City contract running down and speculation mounting over where he goes next.

Rodri played his part in La Roja's 2026 World Cup triumph on Sunday, a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final.

Real Madrid have radically shifted their stance towards the Spanish midfielder after that World Cup win, according to transfer expert Matteo Moretto, with the Ballon d'Or he collected as the tournament's best player only adding to his appeal.

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Some members of the Los Blancos board are trying to strike an agreement with the 30-year-old, Moretto confirmed. Rodri, for his part, appears ready to move to the Santiago Bernabéu rather than renew his lucrative deal at Manchester City.

Florentino Pérez will have the final say, though. The Real Madrid president has previously waved away the idea of signing Rodri, weighing up factors such as his age, his status and his transfer fee. 

Earlier reports had flagged that Rodri has not resolved his future at Manchester City, where just one year remains on his contract. That uncertainty only fuels the talk of a move to Real Madrid this summer.