Rodri has become the biggest talking point at Manchester City in recent days, following his World Cup win with Spain, being named the tournament's best player, and intensifying speculation about a potential move to Real Madrid.
The 30-year-old will undergo surgery on a minor back issue on Monday, which is expected to sideline him for a few weeks. Blues boss Enzo Maresca spoke about the midfielder returning to City once he is fit, offering reassurance to fans even if the new manager stopped short of firmly rejecting talk of a possible departure.
Why City Need to Keep Him
Rodri's ability, experience, and leadership make him a world-class operator. With Bernardo Silva ending his Etihad career this summer, retaining Rodri seems imperative. Elliot Anderson arrived in a club-record £116million deal, and Ayyoub Bouaddi may follow from Lille for £80million. However, letting Rodri leave when Anderson and others could learn from him would be a brave and arguably foolish move.
The counter argument is that Rodri is in the final year of his contract, with a new deal unsigned. There is also the possibility he agitates for an exit to return to his homeland. But if City can convince him to stay, his transformative role over the next 12 months is worth more than what Real Madrid might pay for a player in his 30s who could move for free in 12 months.
Valuation and Stance
Manchester Evening News' chief City writer Simon Bajkowski said on the Talking City podcast: “I don't think you are looking at less than £80million for him. And I think City can start the dialogue at £100m. They have to price up how much is it worth to us this season having Rodri and not having Rodri, especially having lost Bernardo Silva this summer and all his experience. Do you want another leader walking out of the door or do you want to get another year out of him even if he might be a bit grumpy at times because he would rather be in Madrid. Tough. He is under contract.”
He added: “Leroy Sane wanted to go one summer and Bayern Munich thought they could get him on the cheap and City said no and he didn't go. Bernardo Silva wanted to go quite a few summers and there were a few offers but City said no that doesn't meet our valuation.”
Bajkowski continued: “Is Rodri the sort of player that is going to go on strike or down tools for a year because he doesn't get to go to Real Madrid? I don't know but I think City would like to think not.”
He also noted: “Rodri has only got a year left on his contract but he has just been named the best player at the World Cup. Players are going for big money but how much does the best player in the World Cup cost? A fair bit even with one year left on his contract. City are not going to let him [go] cheaply. We have not heard from the man himself, maybe he wants to stay. You can see why he would want to go to Madrid but at the end of the day they have to agree a deal with City and that looks pretty difficult.”
