It is no surprise that Man City are trying to speed up the process of signing Rodri. As one of the most important and contributing stars in recent years, the Spanish midfielder has received a new offer with an attractive salary, close to the stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
It has become a practice for Man City to extend the contracts of key players when there are 3 years left on the contract. When there are only 2 years left on the contract, the bargaining power will tilt towards the player. They can demand higher wages and this also makes it easier for other teams to approach and persuade the player to leave.
A typical example is the case of Leroy Sane. The Citizens offered the German star a new contract for a long time, but the two sides had disagreements and Sane basically expressed his intention to leave in early 2019. Man City certainly do not want to fall into a similar situation by holding on to Rodri before the time is near.
The City hierarchy are optimistic that Rodri will agree to a new deal. In recent years, players have been offered bigger salaries to stay where they are happy and the 28-year-old could be among them. The EURO 2024 winner is currently in the best of form at the Etihad.
However, Real Madrid have always been a potential threat. There are not many clubs with the financial capacity and ambition to sign Rodri. However, Man City have always been wary that Real Madrid will one day be interested in the Spanish star. The Citizens' concerns are completely grounded as it seems that day has come.
After Rodri shone and won the EURO 2024 championship with the Spanish team, plus the achievement of being the best player of the tournament, his value skyrocketed. Dani Carvajal publicly admitted that he advised Rodri to move to Santiago Bernabeu.
Although Real Madrid are keen on signing Rodri, even they realise it will be difficult. Los Blancos have no intention of matching Man City's wages and are not willing to pay the huge transfer fee that The Citizens are demanding.
However, Real Madrid are still waiting for the results of 115 charges of financial fair play violations brought against Man City by the Premier League. The trial has begun and a verdict is expected early next year. If The Citizens are found guilty and face a heavy fine, the Madrid team may seize the opportunity to recruit Rodri.
Rodri's big decision now is whether to sign a new contract and commit to the remaining years of his career at City, or wait and see what happens with the allegations against his parent club and then consider Real Madrid's next move.
With Rodri still having three years left on his contract, waiting a few months to make a decision won’t have too many short-term consequences. Only if Man City are found guilty will the possibility of the 1996-born star moving to Madrid next summer become a reality.
Even if Man City are not punished, Real Madrid's attempts to sign Rodri in the next 12 months will still face many financial difficulties. Therefore, the Etihad team will not have to worry about the future of the Spanish midfielder. However, the upcoming verdict on The Citizens will have a huge impact on the transfer market of the Manchester team in particular and Europe in general.
