For months, the word coming out of the Santiago Bernabéu was a resounding no. Even with Rodri making it clear behind the scenes that a return home to Madrid was his ultimate dream, Florentino Pérez remained stubbornly unconvinced.
The Real Madrid president had his reasons. Rodri was north of 30, carried a hefty price tag, and didn’t quite fit Pérez’s usual profile of flashy, attacking Galácticos. Add in the fact that city rivals Manchester City were desperately trying to tie their midfield engine down to a massive contract extension, and the door to Spain seemed firmly shut.
Then came the World Cup.
Rodri didn’t just play in North America; he completely dominated. Captaining Spain to glory and walking away with the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, the 30-year-old delivered a timely reminder of why he’s arguably the most complete deep-lying playmaker on the planet.
That staggering run of form appears to have triggered a massive shift inside the Madrid boardroom. With influential figures at the club rallying behind the idea and insisting Rodri is the exact missing puzzle piece to replace former legends in the middle of the park, Pérez is reportedly easing his stance.
With only one year left on his contract at Man City and little progress made on a renewal, the ball is suddenly back in Real Madrid’s court. If Pérez completes this dramatic change of heart and officially greenlights the move, we could be looking at one of the biggest transfer blockbusters of the summer window.
