Man City 'fairly relaxed' about accepting 'mediocre fee' for Rodri as deal all but done

Rodri has decided against repaying the loyalty shown by Manchester City during the midfelder's recent injury struggles.

That is according to former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that the player's links to Real Madrid will be "frustrating" for the Citizens.

Enzo Maresca is certainly not ready to lose the 2026 World Cup winner, who was also crowned Player of the Tournament, but that decision may be out of his hands.

Rodri's current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2027, meaning that City are running out of time to cash in on the player before he leaves on a free transfer.

With each passing update, it appears increasingly likely that the Spain international will join Los Blancos ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Despite him missing most of the 2024-25 campaign and playing a bit-part role last term, he would be a huge loss were he to leave, even with Elliot Anderson in the ranks now.

Man City at serious risk of losing Rodri

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: "Man City have been trying to get him to sign a contract, even before the injury.

"So, in the summer, or in the lead-up to that season, contracts were tabled and then he got injured. I thought there was a possibility that, as a sign of loyalty, City, and they probably did this, would keep the offer on the table.

"And given that he was in recuperation from an ACL [injury], I thought maybe he'd take the offer because he'd have that security.

"Ultimately, Rodri effectively took the gamble. The World Cup suggests that has recovered fully, although last season suggests that he hadn't quite.

"And it's frustrating for City because clearly they've basically lost the player for the best part of two years. He played some part last season, but not a full part.

"Then he wants to go, but that is football and City will be fairly sanguine about the whole situation. The only thing that surprises me is that you've got Real Madrid with €1.2billion (£1million) of revenue last season.

"And Man City seemed to be fairly relaxed about taking a mediocre fee and moving on."

What has Rodri said about his future?

To say that Rodri has kept his cards close to his chest would be an understatement, having been quizzed during the 2026 World Cup.

In a press conference, he said: "With a World Cup ahead, my responsibility is to stay focused. Anything related to my future will wait until after the World Cup."

Rodri is actually in a race against time to return for the start of the season right now, having undergone surgery after the World Cup final.

For what was only a minor procedure on his back, Enzo Maresca is without the Ballon d'Or winner during pre-season, but rumours only continue to swirl around his future.