A Real Madrid legend shocks Barcelona: the Rodri deal will not have much of an impact

Manchester City star Rodri is close to an official move to Barcelona during the current summer transfer window.

Real Madrid opened talks with Rodri to secure his services, and the player agreed to join the Merengues, only to switch destination in stunning fashion once Barcelona entered the picture.

That twist sparked a flood of reactions. The rivalry between the two Spanish giants looks set to grow even fiercer this season after what happened with the Spain captain.

Real Madrid legend Jorge Valdano reckons the Rodri deal will not greatly affect Barcelona's style of play.

Defensa Central carried the comments of Valdano, an analyst for the Movistar network, who said: "The Rodri deal is a strategic one for Barcelona, as the player will add a special touch to everything Flick proposes, but at Real Madrid he would have revolutionised the team's style of play and would have improved everything around him."

He added: "For me, what Rodri would add to Barcelona is worth 35 million euros, while what Real Madrid would lose because of him is worth 40 million euros."

The former Argentine star made his point clear: Rodri's move will hurt Real Madrid more over the season than it will boost Barcelona.

He continued: "The ball would have reached the forwards more quickly, and it would have reached them better. This kind of impact created by the players who possess it is not necessarily an impact that shows up in the number of goals, but rather an impact on the style of play, and this player, for this reason precisely, is the best player in the world."