Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri has been hoping for a Real Madrid transfer for months, but president Florentino Perez has been blocking him despite many key decision makers and players at the club wanting to bring in the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.
Though there are concerns about how Rodri will mesh with Vinicius Junior after the 2024 Ballon d'Or snub of the Brazilian icon while Real are inexplicably still trying to sign the left winger to a new contract extension, Rodri himself has already said there is no issue and that he respects Vini who he also feels was the deserving winner that year.
Perhaps the 2026 World Cup will give Florentino reason to reconsider, or at least make inroads to signing Rodri as a free agent in 2027. There were concerns about age and the recent ACL tear, but Rodri fulfilled Pep Guardiola's prophetic words that he would show his best version this summer, as he picked up the Golden Ball by dominating Enzo Fernandez and Aurelien Tchouameni in two massive big game showings in the semifinals and Final of the World Cup.
Rodri might be what Real Madrid needs
And now, the Spanish No. 6 has a key teammate who is at Real Madrid doing some advocating for him. Marc Cucurella also had a brilliant World Cup for Spain, though Jose Mourinho secured him a dream move to the Santiago Bernabeu before the tournament started, and he was full of praise for his veteran teammate.
Cucurella told reporters after the win, via Madrid Xtra, “Rodri is a very important player for us. Sometimes it’s not just about scoring or assisting. He controls everything, he organizes the team—when we press, when we attack. Whenever we’re under pressure, he gives us the chance to play through him. He deserves the WC Golden Ball.”
Real Madrid fans and the entire world could see that impact from Rodri. He was bossing the game, and Spain looked to him on every play for organization and leadership as he set the tempo. The solidity he gave on the ball, the security, the weight of passing, and the vision were all essential, and Real Madrid have been missing that sort of a player badly since Toni Kroos retired at the top of his game in 2024 - Real have not won a major trophy since.
Marc Cucurella's message to Florentino is simple. If you want to win games and feel secure through the 90 minutes, you need a player like Rodri.
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