It appears it’s finally happening. Real Madrid are reportedly “confident” in completing a move that will see Spain and Manchester City midfielder, Rodri, land on the Bernabéu before the end of the summer. According to The Athletic, the stellar level the Golden Ball winner displayed as he led Spain’s title-run during the 2026 World Cup convinced a previously-hesitant Real Madrid to push for his signature. Negotiations between clubs have yet to begin, but the report suggests Los Blancos are confident they can get the transfer finalized this summer. The 30-year-old midfielder openly flirted with the possibility of joining Real Madrid back in March, saying, “You can’t turn down one of the world’s best clubs. It doesn’t matter if they arrive at the match in a good or bad moment, Real Madrid is always Real Madrid. The door is not closed.”Manchester City are reluctant to part ways with the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, with new manager Enzo Maresca confirming he’s not worried about the transfer speculation around Rodri, and that “every manager wants to have Rodri because he’s a top player.” However, Rodri is entering the final year of his current contract at City, and there’s been no progress in contract renewal talks despite having an offer on the table, meaning this could be the last opportunity for the club to cash-in on the midfielder before he can leave as a free agent.Rodri Is Exactly What Real Madrid Are MissingRodri dominated the 2026 World Cup. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedHaving seen Rodri’s all-time great form at the 2026 World Cup, it’s not difficult to understand why Real Madrid suddenly want to make him their newest Galáctico signing, especially because he wouldn’t be a luxury buy, but rather, instantly fill Madrid’s primary need. Over the past two seasons, not even the superstar front-three of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham has sufficed to overcome the absence of legendary midfield controller Toni Kroos. Los Blancos have routinely looked like an unbalanced side ever since the German’s retirement after winning the Champions League in 2023–24, and the problem only intensified when Luka Modrić left the club a season later. The result? Real Madrid have won one trophy—the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup—ever since Kroos left the club. Rodri would instantly solve that problem for Los Blancos. As he emphatically showcased during the World Cup, Rodri is capable of almost single-handedly acting as midfield double-pivot. At his best, there’s no better all-around midfielder capable of balancing elite sides than the Spaniard. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez was seemingly the only person who failed to acknowledge this, with recent reports stating he was “not convinced” by the City midfielder—perhaps because he was the player recent Real Madrid presidential adversary Enrique Riquelme promised to sign if he beat Pérez in the recent election. Regardless of his reasons, it seems his stance has softened, and Los Blancos are now moving ahead with their pursuit of one of the world’s best defensive midfielders. Man City Could Receive Double Blow If Rodri Joins Real MadridLosing Rodri would be a major blow for the start of the Enzo Maresca era at City. | Oli Sarff/AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s true that Rodri hasn’t been able to perform at his peak level for City over the past two seasons due to injuries and that he’ll once again be sidelined after undergoing back surgery in the coming days; nevertheless, the midfielder leaving for Real Madrid would be a nightmare scenario in more ways than one. Rodri has been at the heart of the most successful era of City’s history, playing a crucial role in winning four-straight Premier League titles and the team’s maiden Champions League—which completed an unprecedented treble. It’s no coincidence that City’s dominance faded over the last two seasons when Rodri missed more games than he actually played. Although City already made England international Elliot Anderson the most expensive transfer in club history—likely to be the Spaniard’s successor in midfield, there’s no guarantee he can replicate the level of dominance Rodri displayed for half a decade, regardless of his unquestioned potential. Furthermore, if Rodri joins Real Madrid, Los Blancos could be more willing to let go of either Aurélien Tchouaméni or Eduardo Camavinga, and Manchester United could significantly benefit from this, with the Red Devils especially linked with the former. In other words, City losing Rodri to Real Madrid could also help expedite their bitter rival’s midfield rebuild. City will likely do everything in their power to convince Rodri to stay at the club. But if Madrid seriously approach them and Rodri continues to be allured by a move to the Bernabéu, then securing as high a fee as possible for the departing club legend could be the best City could hope for in a situation that’s looking increasingly dire. READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow