Rodri has emerged as one of the defining transfer sagas of the 2026 summer window, pivoting from a near-move to Real Madrid before ultimately being unveiled as the newest marquee signing for FC Barcelona. While Los Blancos attempted to lure the midfielder with a lucrative contract proposal, manager Jose Mourinho has revealed the exact reasoning behind why he ultimately chose to move on from the Spanish international.
With Rodri determined to depart Manchester City, Real Madrid originally pushed hardest to pull off the high-profile transfer. The player’s agent, Pablo Barquero, confirmed as much, stating that “Real Madrid made an irresistible offer to Rodri after the World Cup,“ though the star midfielder ultimately decided to head to Catalonia instead.
According to The Athletic, Barcelona ultimately reached a full agreement with Manchester City for a guaranteed base fee of 60 million euros ($68.8M USD). However, performance-based add-ons and trophy incentives included in the deal could see the total valuation rise up to 76.5 million euros ($87.8M USD).
Rodri was officially unveiled as a Barcelona player on Tuesday, August 18, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract running through June 2030. Although Mourinho and club president Florentino Perez actively pursued the player, the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner and 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient chose the Blaugrana over their archrivals.
Mourinho on why Real Madrid ‘didn’t need Rodri’
Following the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, Real Madrid have struggled to identify a central midfielder capable of dictating tempo and controlling matches. Rodri appeared to profile as the exact missing piece, but Mourinho shut down claims that the squad suffered from an operational void in the engine room.
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In an interview with Spanish television program El Chiringuito, the Portuguese manager offered a blunt assessment of his roster needs: “We are not lacking players. I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is open, but if you ask me directly if it’s closed for me… yes. It is closed. I really like the squad.“
When pressed specifically on Rodri’s decision to turn down Real Madrid, Mourinho dismissed the notion of lingering regret. “I am not lacking Rodri,” he stated, highlighting his confidence in player development. “A player who is an X today can become a completely different player tomorrow,” he added, before detailing the inner workings of the club’s pursuit.
However, during direct conversations with the player, reservations began to surface for the veteran manager: “I spoke to him a couple of times and Real Madrid made him a very good offer. I think there is a very good relationship with City. Without negotiating with City, the club made contact with Rodri; they made him a major offer. Rodri had doubts, he hesitated… and Rodri’s doubts created doubts for me.“
Mourinho concluded by explaining why Real Madrid were comfortable walking away from the deal despite Rodri’s undisputed world-class ability. “He is an extraordinary player and was very respectful with us, nothing negative to say, but Real Madrid is of a dimension that cannot have players who second-guess themselves; you make contact… and the player asks you: When do I have to go? That’s somewhat the concept, but he was very respectful with us; I wish him well… not too well, obviously… but I wish him well,” Mourinho concluded.
Throughout preseason action, Mourinho has deployed his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation featuring a double pivot sitting behind the attacking line. Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva logged the heaviest minutes as a midfield tandem during the summer schedule, though with the La Liga opener fast approaching and Aurelien Tchouameni standing as the lone holding specialist, Real Madrid’s midfield dynamic remains a central talking point.
