Ever since his retirement following the 23/24 season, Real Madrid have been on the hunt for their perfect Toni Kroos replacement. The hunt has turned into more of a wild goose chase, with the club drawing up a long list of possible signings ahead of the summer transfer window. Signing the perfect replacement is a move that has the potential to shape the next decade of Real Madrid, and thankfully, the club has finally come to their senses about signing this player.
As being reported by SPORT (via Transfer News Live) Real Madrid are now starting to distance themselves from a move for Manchester City midfielder Rodri, and are shifting their attention to other options this summer. The main reason being the 29-year-old could cost around €60 million, a pretty penny for a player his age and with his injury history.
Real Madrid make right call over Manchester City superstar
The Spaniard was once the top candidate in the minds of many figures at the club, but with the hefty price tag and worrying injury history in recent years, and Rodri has now fall all the way down the list. While Rodri does possess a number of attributes that the club are looking for in their ideal Kroos replacement like his wide passing range and tempo controlling ability, with the direction the club have been going in recent years, Rodri simply doesn't fit the vision.
In recent years we've seen the club transitioning towards a younger generation of players, hence all the veteran departures in recent seasons. The average age of the Real Madrid midfield is around 24 years old, so bringing in an injury prone 29-year-old to be a key player for the next generation of Real Madrid doesn't really make much sense.
Other players on Real Madrid's list like Vitinha, Dominik Szoboszlai, Nico Paz, and even Kees Smit make more sense than bringing in Rodri given the direction the club are looking to go.
Another report from El Nacional (via Transfer News Live) goes on to state that Vinicius Jr has threatened Real Madrid with leaving if the club were to sign Rodri, given all the controversy surrounding the 2024 Ballon d'Or, with Eduardo Camavinga hold the same stance as the Brazilian. Rodri is a solid player, but Los Blancos wouldn't want to risk losing one of their star players by making a signing like this.
Who exactly Real Madrid will sign in the summer remains unknown but one thing is for certain, the club are planning a big window this summer. Off the back of a disappointing season, the club are looking to make a statement by bringing in a number of big name players to help shape the next generation of the club, to avoid further seasons like this one.