Barcelona Could Challenge Real Madrid for Rodri—Who Needs World Cup Winner More?

Barcelona could challenge their great rivals Real Madrid in pursuit of Rodri this summer, as competition for the World Cup winner hots up.

Rodri’s stock is at a high after captaining Spain to glory in North America this summer, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

With just a year left on his current contract at Manchester City, speculation over the 30-year-old’s future has increased and there is a feeling that he could follow Pep Guardiola’s lead in exiting the club this summer.

Should he choose not sign a renewal option on the table in England, Real Madrid are seen as Rodri’s most likely destination.

After apparently dismissing Rodri as a serious target for some time, Madrid president Pérez has now given the green light for a move, with the two clubs in negotiations and the Spanish giants willing to spend north of €50 million ($57 million).

However, it has been reported that Madrid may not be the only suitor Rodri has, with Barcelona among those potentially interested.

Transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano has since claimed that City paused talks with Madrid as they wait to see if other clubs, such as Barça, reach out with proposals.

“Manchester City decided not to close the deal with Real Madrid because they wanted to wait for more clubs to jump into the race for Rodri,” Romano said on his YouTube channel on Tuesday.

“Manchester City have a feeling that also Barcelona could be interested in Rodri. The injury of Frenkie de Jong could open doors to this possibility.”

Which Club Needs Rodri More?

Barcelona Looking for Short-Term Cover

Frenkie de Jong’s injury means Barcelona might make a move. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Serious interest from Barcelona would change the dynamics of the transfer negotiations and push the story into one of the most followed of the summer, with two of soccer’s greatest rivals fighting it out for one of the sport’s best players.

Time will tell whether Barça are prepared to test the waters and enter the mix, but the argument for doing so from a roster perspective is obvious.

Dutch midfielder De Jong returned from the World Cup with torn knee ligaments and is expected to be out of action for around five months as he recovers. The 29-year-old’s absence combined with Pedri’s availability issues—the Spaniard missed 15 matches through injury last season—suggests there would be room to accommodate more midfield cover.

Other midfield options at the club Gavi, Dani Olmo and Fermín López prefer to operate in more advanced roles with different skill sets, leaving the team short on more defense-minded options. Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal are two internal options that manager Hansi Flick can lean on, but both lack serious top-level experience because of their age.

Having already spent north of €100 million ($115 million) so far this summer on new arrivals, Barcelona are also still in the market for a striker, with Julián Alvarez the main target. That deal may ultimately take priority over a short-term fix in midfield—even if it means the chance to disrupt their rivals.

Real Madrid Seek Controller

José Mourinho’s team lacks quality in the deep midfield roles. | Christian Bruna/Getty Images

For Madrid, the need for a controller in midfield has been there for some time. The club has been found wanting in key moments regularly in the last two seasons, with the departures of club legends Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić creating a vaccum in the middle of the field.

Aurelién Tchouaméni is now the first-team’s only specialist defensive midfielder, though there are a number of other players who can and have deputized in the role in recent times, including Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and academy star Thiago Pitarch.

New manager José Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system will rely on a double pivot, putting extra emphasis on a midfield base protecting the defense and helping to set the tempo.

A signing of Rodri’s ilk would give Madrid the double boost of addressing a specific tactical need, while also adding much-needed, elite-level experience and leadership to a fractured locker room.

With Pérez also negotiating a potentially club-record deal for RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande, it remains to be seen how much headroom will be left for the Rodri deal—and news of added interest pushing up the player’s price tag will not be welcome.

However, it is clear that Real Madrid need Rodri, or someone like him.

Rodri’s Preferred Move

As for the player himself, Rodri has regularly made public comments to signal his openness with regard to a move to the Bernabéu.

Back in 2024, the former Atlético Madrid star told Spanish media: “When Real Madrid call you ... you always have to pay attention.”

Prior to the World Cup this summer, he said he would discuss his future after the tournament. He might not have expected those weeks in North America to be quite so transformative.

Prior to the summer, he was seen as a quality player, but one in decline after a stop-start club season. Having hit 30 and gone through ACL surgery, general wisdom dictated that Rodri was no longer one of the world’s very best. However, after the lifting the trophy at MetLife Stadium as Spain captain, he shot back to the top of soccer’s elite and is now a genuine contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or—an award he won once already back in 2024.

As a result, AS reports that as well as Barça and Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are taking notice of his situation.

That report claims that if Rodri does decide to call it quits after seven seasons in Manchester, there is only one possible destination for him: Real Madrid. He is said to be “unfazed” by new interest from Barcelona.

Now, it will depend on who can agree terms with Manchester City.

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