The future of Rodri Hernández has experienced a plot twist since he was crowned world champion with Spain in New York and was named the best player of the tournament. The Manchester City midfielder then received a great offer from Real Madrid but has opted for Barcelona’s interest for footballing reasons, pending an agreement between the Blaugrana club and the English club for the transfer.
Before Madrid made a move, Rodri had already made clear what his limit was: he flatly rejected PSG’s interest, to the point of not even wanting to hear the financial terms offered by the French club. His idea was to return to Spain, and there was no room for negotiation there.
Madrid did not waste time. A few days after Spain was crowned world champion, the club had already contacted Rodri. They put an offer on the table that his circle even described as irresistible and involved Mourinho himself in the negotiation. From the presidency to the general management, the entire organization worked on the operation as an absolute priority during two weeks of talks. But Rodri communicated it to the club yesterday, without delay, thanking them for the treatment received. He has chosen Barça.
The twist is surprising because it does not match what was known about the player. When Real Madrid held presidential elections, Rodri had already shown support for one of the candidates, a nod that was then read as the desire to wear white someday. That background is what has puzzled the most this week: something changed along the way, and it was not the money.
The timing helps to understand it. During the World Cup, there were doubts about Rodri’s physical condition, whether he would be the same after his knee injury. Madrid waited for those doubts to be completely cleared, for Rodri to be, besides champion, the MVP of the tournament, to fully enter the scene. Barça had been probing since before that certainty.
Then there is the locker room. Eight teammates from the champion national team play at Barça, from Cubarsí to Lamine Yamal, including Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Ferran Torres, as well as Eric and Joan García. It is not just affection: it is the guarantee of fitting immediately into a project, that of Flick, which Rodri knows from the inside.
Madrid took the blow on what was supposed to be a day of celebration. That same Thursday, they closed the signing of Yan Diomande for 125 million plus 15 in variables, the most expensive operation in their history, and announced the renewal of Vinicius until 2032. Neither of the two pieces of news overshadowed Rodri’s decision.
Read more Agustín Iglesias, mayor of Independencia: “I had a mystical experience at a healing mass”