According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City's hopes of keeping Rodri have diminished since the end of the season. The player has not accepted any contract extension offers, and with his contract nearing its end, Real Madrid have turned their attention to the Ballon d'Or winner.
Rodri is currently on leave following minor back surgery, and last week Enzo Fernandez stated that he expects Rodri to return to the Etihad Stadium before the start of the new season. However, given the delicate relationship between Rodri and Manchester City and Real Madrid, rumors surrounding a potential transfer are likely to continue to circulate until then.
Either Manchester City or Rodri could step in to end this, for example, by the player clearly stating he will sign a new contract, or by the club issuing a statement clarifying whether there are conditions that would allow for his sale. However, it's unlikely that either side will speak up, as they know it would anger those they have friendly relations with.
Manchester City has always had a golden rule regarding transfers, though it's often misunderstood. Any player who wants to leave can go, as long as someone puts an acceptable offer on the table—the second half is the key.
It's understandable that some Manchester City fans are unhappy with Rodri's situation. Last time City traveled to Hong Kong, Guardiola was furious about Bayern Munich's blatant signing of Leroy Sané. City insisted Sané would leave if the club met their valuation of approximately £135 million; however, this money wasn't paid, and Sané subsequently suffered an injury in the Community Shield, ruining his season and impacting his transfer.
Manchester City repeatedly rejected high offers for Bernardo Silva because the club considered him too important and didn't want to lose him; Bernardo himself didn't like it but continued to play for the team, eventually leaving as a club legend. In Rodri's case, Manchester City were also annoyed by Barcelona's attempts to lower the price of Eric Garcia; ultimately, they calculated that keeping him and letting him leave on a free transfer was more cost-effective than accepting Barcelona's higher offers.
This practice is not uncommon in football transfers—Kevin De Bruyne once used a data company to calculate his value to Manchester City and how much the team would need to spend to find a replacement—Rodri will also have a corresponding figure. This figure has not yet been released, but it is significantly higher than the €50 million mentioned this week.
Manchester City CEO Soriano dislikes the emotional element in transfers, and losing Rodri after Silva would be a huge loss for the team. However, Soriano is a man who values numbers and knows that losses can be calculated, so as long as everyone understands what Real Madrid would have to pay to bring in a player who is poised to win his second Ballon d'Or in three years and has already lifted the World Cup trophy with Spain, there's no need to let this issue stir up emotions all summer.
Football is a business, but if Real Madrid keeps releasing information without meeting Manchester City's transfer demands, City and Enzo Fernandes will only become increasingly impatient. In any negotiation, angering the seller is usually not the outcome the buyer wants.
Manchester City must accept that Rodri may not sign a new contract, but if they ultimately lose him this summer or next, the deal must be done on City's own terms.
