It is now clear that both Real Madrid and Barcelona need Rodri, or at least a player like him. Real Madrid need him to become great again in the midfield battle, while Barcelona need it to be better than they already are.
In the last two years - especially since Toni Kroos' retirement in 2024 - Real Madrid have looked for a controller for the longest time. They tried to work without one. They tried to force some of the current players to take the mantle, but none of them were good enough in that regard.
They kept getting dominated by the big teams in nearly every match they played. The games against Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and so many others showed the desperate need of a player who can keep the ball for long stretches.
Real Madrid do not have a tactical identity that would eliminate the need for Rodri
Not all teams have players like Rodri, but what they do have are players who want the ball, and are creative enough with it to keep it around for long stretches. They keep the ball, and have clear tools to use when they need to create danger from deep.
Either that, or they have a manager who has ideas implemented to the squad - which makes it easier for teams to follow. Real Madrid have had neither of those in the last two seasons. That is why they need a player like Kroos or Rodri to be the coach on the pitch.
It has always been like that for the club. Before Kroos, it used to be Luka Modric, or Xabi Alonso. Real Madrid don't rely on tactical identities to win games like some of the other teams mentioned above, but that is why they need a player like Rodri. To have some direction. To have some control. To know what to do.
Real Madrid don't have that without him, and Rodri would have been perfect for the club to sign. The worst part is that he was there. He was right there, and is now about to get swept by Barcelona from under their noses.
It is genuinely one of the most shocking and disappointing situations that Real Madrid fans have seen with regards to a transfer in so long.
Barcelona's midfield is already better than Real Madrid's, and the gap will widen if they get Rodri
Real Madrid need Rodri to be great. Barcelona, on the other hand, already are great. Their midfield is fantastic. They have both the tactical identity and the players to keep the ball around for large stretches.
Players like Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, Marc Bernal are just some of the brilliant ball retention players that the club has, and if they get Rodri, he would be the last piece of the puzzle for them to dominate the league for years to come.
For Real Madrid, this is merely to come back to the level of Barcelona and challenge them once again. For Barcelona, it is to create an even bigger gap between the two teams.
If Rodri ends up joining Barcelona over Real Madrid, expect no domestic trophies for the next five years. Barcelona will have a near perfect team, while Real Madrid would struggle to fix the one glaring weakness in their squad.
This is what fans fear the most. Real Madrid are already being dominated in the league and the Champions League. If they sign a plethora of players and still end up further behind Barcelona and the other top teams in Europe than they were before, what was the point?
Real Madrid need Rodri badly. I don't think people are understanding the true need for a player who can do what Rodri does.
To have someone who is not afraid to have the ball and circulate it to other players in desperate times. To have someone who has always loved keeping the ball for the longest time. To have a player who desperately wanted to play for the club, only to see them being snatched away by the biggest rivals they have ever had - a truly colossal failure.
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