Rodri 'doesn't know' where Real Madrid rumours come from with focus firmly on World Cup
Ciaran McCarthy
Manchester City midfielder Rodri "doesn't know" where rumours of a move to Real Madrid are coming from, and is focussed on the World Cup with Spain.
City midfielder Rodri is a long-term target for Real. The Madrid native, who previously played for rivals Atletico and won the Ballon d'Or in 2024, indeed seems a perfect player for Real.
However, he has another year on his contract with City and has the World Cup with Spain to focus on.
Amid rumours that he could head to Real, Rodri has distanced himself from an immediate move.
He told Cadena Ser: "To be honest, I've been keeping a bit of a distance. It's true that things come up, but in the end, I don't really know where they're coming from. I try to focus on what I have to do now. I understand that it's part of the game and what we do. Every time your name comes up, we accept it as such, but I haven't thought about it and I'm not making any decisions."
He added: "My focus is on the World Cup. I'm still under contract with my club, where I think we've had a good season. That's my situation right now."
Riquelme made Rodri promise
Speculation about a move for Rodri to Real this summer has increased after presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme essentially promised he would sign the Spaniard if he landed the role.
He said: "Have I already signed Rodri? What I'm saying is that if I'm president, a player like Rodri will play for Real Madrid. He won the Ballon d'Or, he's from Madrid. I would love to have a player like that at Real Madrid."
The same man also vowed to sign Rodri's City team-mate Erling Haaland for Real, even holding up the club's shirt with the Norwegian striker's name on it.
That led City to threaten legal action, explaining such in a statement.
It said: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”
Indeed, that was due to the shirt with Haaland's name on it, and no such thing happened with Rodri.
Whether Real will make a push for either man following their presidential election, remains to be seen, as Riquelme lost to existing president Florentino Perez, who has made no promises over the signings of the big-name players.
