Real Madrid Pursues Rodri Hernández Amid Manchester City Rebuild

Real Madrid have turned their gaze back to a familiar name. According to reporting from The Athletic’s David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana, the Spanish giants are now actively pursuing Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernández and are operating under the belief that he will be wearing white next season.

This is not how the summer was supposed to unfold.

Rodri and Manchester City had been expected to sit down after the World Cup and thrash out a contract extension, a routine piece of business for one of the most influential midfielders in Europe. Those talks never truly caught fire. The midfielder has shown little appetite to extend his current deal, a hesitation that has opened a door Madrid once thought was closed.

Initially, Real Madrid had ruled out a move for Rodri. The cost, the complexity, the assumption that City would lock him down for the long term — all of it made the operation look unrealistic. Then came the World Cup.

Rodri’s performances on the biggest stage did more than catch the eye. They shifted opinion inside the Bernabéu offices. His authority in possession, his reading of the game, his ability to control tempo under pressure: Madrid’s hierarchy saw a player who could anchor their midfield for years, a natural successor in a position they treat as sacred.

That impression has triggered a change of heart. Now, with more than a month left in the transfer window, Madrid are no longer simply monitoring the situation. They are moving with intent and, per the same report, with growing confidence that this is a deal they can actually close.

Manchester City’s Position

On the other side of the table, Manchester City find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

The club is entering what can only be described as a minor rebuild following Pep Guardiola’s departure. For years, Guardiola’s presence acted as a magnet, a sporting project and a guarantee of stability that helped City keep their core intact. Without him, the dynamics shift. Decisions that might once have been unthinkable now at least get discussed.

That does not mean City are resigned to losing Rodri. He remains central to their structure and identity. But the timing of Madrid’s move is no coincidence. With a new era beginning at the Etihad and strategic decisions to be made across the squad, there is a greater willingness to at least sit at the negotiating table.

The expectation, according to the report, is that City will likely engage in talks with Madrid in the coming weeks. There is time. There is also pressure. Madrid are not hiding their admiration, and they rarely chase a player this hard without a clear plan to finish the job.

Rodri stands at the centre of it all, a midfielder whose next decision will ripple through two of Europe’s superclubs. City, adjusting to life after Guardiola. Madrid, reshaping a midfield that has already undergone one generational shift and may now be preparing for another.

If Real Madrid get their way, the next phase of that evolution will be built around a player who once seemed out of reach — and City’s new era will begin with a hole in the very heart of their team.