Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has been left “furious” by his club’s failure to land Rodri according to SPORT, citing anonymous sources.
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Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has been left “furious” by his club’s failure to land Rodri according to SPORT, citing anonymous sources.
The Best Player at the recent World Cup, where he captained Spain to victory, appeared to be heading to the Bernabeu.
On Thursday, though, a series of developments turned the potential transfer on its head.
First there were reports that talks between Madrid and City had broken down, and that bitter rival FC Barcelona had now entered the race for the 30-year-old.
A call from Hansi Flick convinced Rodri to agree terms with the Catalans, who are now trying to hash out a summer transfer with the Mancunians.
Real Madrid president Perez and Mourinho have been left furious by the turn of events
Used to getting what he wants, Florentino Perez is said to have been angered by Rodri rejecting what is believed to have been a strong personal offer from Real Madrid. Adding insult to injury, he appears to have opted for the other side of El Clasico’s divide.
Even more furious is Mourinho, however, who reportedly “couldn’t believe the news when he was told that Rodri had rejected the offer and was leaving for Barcelona”.
Mourinho has vented his frustration with Los Blancos executives too, who have told him that there are no plans to make reinforcements in midfield because the market doesn’t provide worthy options.
Furthermore, there’s an understanding that Madrid’s squad is “full” after the arrivals of Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Carlos Espi, Ibrahima Konate and Yan Diomande in this window.
Yet there’s no denying that if Rodri goes to Barça, it’s a huge blow to Real Madrid. Over the past two seasons, the Catalans have claimed five out of six domestic pieces of silverware on offer while their arch nemesis went trophyless.
A lack of control in midfield was often cited as a key factor in this drought, with Madrid having failed to replace Toni Kroos and Luka Modric following their departures in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Rodri could have turned the tides and been the missing piece in the puzzle. Furthermore, Real Madrid has also dallied over potentially buying Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea. Mourinho must now make the best of what he has, and that might not be an easy task in Spain if he wishes to upturn Barça’s apple cart.