Real Madrid Prepare Stunning £130m Move for Man City Midfield Star as Contract Twist Emerges
According to reports, Manchester City intends to make a huge offer for Rodri, a defensive midfielder for Manchester City.
The Cityzens have a daring strategy to reject the La Liga powerhouses’ efforts. Since Xabi Alonso is eager to strengthen his midfield, it is not surprising that Los Blancos have been strongly linked to a deal for the 29-year-old for a while.
Though his playing time has been restricted due to recent injuries, Rodri, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2024, is still an essential member of Man City’s squad.
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The Spaniard has made five appearances so far this season, but the injury kept him out of their most recent Champions League match against Monaco.
Real Madrid hasn’t been put off by those recent problems, though. Alonso’s team is “planning a stunning raid” on Man City for Rodri, according to The Daily Star.
The Spanish powerhouses are rumoured to “entice Pep Guardiola’s team with a £130 million bid for the midfield superstar,” and there is a “nagging fear” that the player would follow the move.
The chairman of Man City, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, is “determined” to keep Rodri at the Etihad, though. In an effort to “keep him out of the clutches of Real,” the article also states that Al-Mubarak is “planning to open contract talks with Rodri.”
According to The Daily Star, City would be “willing to offer him a significant wage hike” to ensure that Rodri commits to the team for the remainder of his career, even if his current deal expires in 2027.
Given that Rodri played for Atletico before joining the Cityzens, a move to Real Madrid would be contentious. Although City has always said that Rodri is not for sale, they would undoubtedly take notice of a £130 million offer, particularly if they are unable to agree to fresh terms with him.
If the deal was approved, it will be City’s largest selling ever and the second-largest Premier League sale ever, after Philippe Coutinho’s £142 million (with add-ons) move to Barcelona in 2018.
Rodri acknowledged in an interview conducted in November of last year that he would be “proud” if Real Madrid made an approach. “
It makes me proud to be called by Real Madrid, the greatest team in history,” Rodri remarked. “You must always pay attention.” It is clear.
Since joining City in 2019, Rodri has made 271 appearances, recording 26 goals and 32 assists.
The midfielder helped his team win 11 major trophies, including four Premier League crowns and one Champions League, and has been instrumental in the club’s success under Guardiola.
Meanwhile, yesterday (October 3), TEAMtalk journalist Dean Jones disclosed that City is going to make Phil Foden an offer for a new, expensive contract.
The club has always understood that his present contract expires in 2027, and it has always been the goal to address his future before that date begins to approach.
Since Foden is seen as essential to City’s goals, his recent form has arrived at the ideal moment. Soon, the parties are anticipated to make their first contact.
Michael Olise, a winger for Bayern Munich who has been on fire since leaving Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024, has also been strongly linked to City.
Inside City’s Balancing Act: Protecting Rodri, Securing Foden, and Planning for the Future
What City do next with Rodri will define more than one transfer window. A sale to Real Madrid, the sort of headline the papers have been circling with a reported £120–130m approach would be seismic but far from unthinkable, and it explains why the club are already sounding the alarm and preparing to open fresh contract talks rather than wait for a scramble.
Keeping him isn’t just about trophies; it’s about safeguarding a midfield blueprint that has been refined around his position for years, and letting him go without a ready-made successor would force Guardiola into a period of painful tactical rewiring.
That is where the Foden negotiations become a strategic masterstroke rather than mere housekeeping.
Tying down Phil Foden sends a clear message: if one pillar is ever tempted away, the club wants another homegrown talisman tied to City’s long-term project.
Beyond the headline salary figures, this is about continuity of identity, ensuring the creative, press-resistant layer in City’s team remains intact while the board decides whether to resist or entertain a big-money offer for Rodri. Early talks are therefore as much insurance as reward.
And while that domino logic plays out, the Olise chatter adds a further wrinkle. Linking Michael Olise to City signals the club are thinking more about the future, keep the spine stable, but also refresh the attacking edges with players who can thrive in Guardiola’s rotation-heavy system.
Olise has the kind of direct pace and flair that would give City another edge in attack, but signing him would come with its own puzzle.
Guardiola knows that every new face changes the chemistry of his team, and right now, Phil Foden’s growing influence is something they don’t want to disturb.
The challenge for City is about keeping their rhythm while still planning ahead staying fresh without losing what already works.
Whether they see this as a smooth evolution or a risky shuffle will depend on how carefully they handle the next few windows.
