Real Madrid are in pursuit of big names to upgrade their midifeld in the summer 2026 transfer window. From established Premier League superstars like Rodri, Enzo Fernandez, and Sandro Tonali to future stars like Kees Smit and Adam Wharton, Real Madrid are eyeing a variety of profiles to help Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch, and possible regista option Arda Guler shine even more at the base of the midfield.
Although Enzo is the most frequently mentioned player in the transfer rumor mill these days, the biggest name linked to Real Madrid is 100 percent Manchester City star Rodri. The 2023/24 Ballon d'Or winner infamously snubbed Vinicius Junior (and Jude Bellingham) in the same season that Real Madrid won the Champions League, which included beating Rodri's Man City.
But Rodri is serious about Real Madrid. Serious enough that he openly swooned for them in the media in public during the March international break, even praising Vinicius Jr. highly when addressing the 2024 Ballon d'Or snub of the Brazilian icon.
Manchester City submitted a new offer to Rodri
Now, Fabrizio Romano has a fresh transfer update on Rodri. The top transfer journalist reports that Manchester City have just submitted a new contract offer to the Spanish superstar. Fab states that if Rodri does not accept this latest contract offer from the Citizens, then Man City will either ask for a big fee this summer or lose him for free one year later when his contract runs out in summer 2027.
Real Madrid are honestly not averse to waiting for big names to hit the free agent market, and though the salary and bonuses would be high, it sounds a lot more appealing to Real to take a free flier on Rodri, which may sway Florentino Perez into changing his mind on the Manchester City star coming off a big injury last year.
Rodri could be the midfield version of what David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger were for Real Madrid in free agency, and since those two won Champions League titles and played key roles in the 2021/22 and 2023/24 runs, respectively, maybe Rodri could help bring Real short term glory in 2027 and 2028.
Fab's report makes it sounds like this contract offer is it. The ball is in Rodri's court. Sign now or forever hold your peace and hit the transfer market in the summer. Real Madrid sure as heck aren't going to pay a "big fee" for a 30 year old midfielder with an ACL tear on his ledger, but they only have to wait even less than a year for that sweet pre contract agreement negotiation in winter 2027.