Míchel Salgado, Real Madrid legend and current Betfair ambassador for the 2026 World Cup, has responded to rumours about a potential arrival of Rodri Hernández at the Santiago Bernabéu with a firm defence: the Manchester City midfielder is exactly what the white club needs right now. According to sport.es, the two-time Champions League winner not only sees the Spain captain as an essential footballing acquisition, but also as the piece that will restore a Spanish backbone to the Merengue dressing room.

«The perfect player for Madrid»

Salgado did not mince words when assessing the hypothetical signing of Rodri. For the former defender, the Spanish playmaker brings together all the qualities that Real Madrid has lacked in recent seasons: a calm presence in midfield, the ability to dictate the tempo of the match and that special touch with the ball that characterises the Manchester City player.

«I think he is the perfect player for Real Madrid», Salgado said with conviction. For him, signing him would not just be a matter of sporting performance, but also an integral strategy that strengthens the project from multiple angles. Rodri would bring with him a number 6 capable of controlling the game's rhythm, something that Madrid has seen diminished in their collective play.

The need to inject Spanish DNA

Beyond the purely tactical, Salgado argues that Real Madrid must recover a solid foundation of Spanish players in its squad. The departures of Nacho Fernández and Dani Carvajal, both captains and dressing room leaders, left a void that the arrival of Cucurella has barely filled.

The former number 2 of the Merengues considers it essential that there is that Spanish backbone at the heart of the team: «If problems arise during a season, that strong foundation helps, encourages, serves to keep ideas clear. The Spanish player is someone who knows the club, the country and what happens inside and outside».

One reflection that does not escape Salgado is also the gap in Spanish representation compared to Barcelona in the national team. With Luis de la Fuente on the bench, the coach has had to rely more on Barcelona players simply because they have more Spanish players available. A deficit that Madrid could address with moves like Rodri's.

Mourinho's pressure and a key season

With José Mourinho's arrival on the Merengue bench, Salgado warns of additional pressure on Real Madrid's players. After two seasons without winning titles, the demands are growing exponentially. Moreover, they begin a post-World Cup season with less recovery than usual for international players.

«A third season without winning anything would be a very difficult situation for the fans to bear», Salgado says. Therefore, the signing of a player of Rodri's stature is not a whim, but a competitive necessity that also affects the mental state of the dressing room.

A verdict without qualifications

When asked whether he believes Rodri is a player that Real Madrid cannot let slip away, Salgado responds without hesitation: «Without a doubt, I would go for Rodri if there was a market possibility to sign him». And he goes further still: he calls him «the best signing on the market right now. The greatest».

Will Madrid make this signing a reality? For now, no official information has emerged about a concrete offer, but if anyone knows what the white team needs to reclaim its throne, it is precisely someone like Salgado.