There is persistent demand around Real Madrid these days: "The signing has to be Rodri". The Manchester City midfielder's performance at the Qatar World Cup—where he won the title and was named tournament MVP—has revived interest in a player that Madrid's support sees as the perfect solution to a problem the club has dragged with it for seasons. But, according to sport.es, this operation is not a matter of willingness, but rather of several circumstances aligning that are currently proving difficult.

Real Madrid's creative need

Madrid's centre-field position has long lacked an occupant capable of fulfilling the function that Rodri could perform. Since Toni Kroos ended his career, creativity from midfield has been a pending issue for Carlo Ancelotti. That vacuum is precisely what Madrid's support hopes the Spanish midfielder will come to fill.

Florentino Pérez and José Mourinho—who would be in charge of managing the team—would view favourably having the profile of the world champions' captain. However, the White president has his reservations, and they are not emotional in nature, but strictly sporting and financial.

The planning problem

Madrid has been shaping its midfield squad with very defined criteria. It already has Bernardo Silva, who will turn 32 in August, and Aurélien Tchouaméni, whom it has just renewed until 2031 after revaluing his position on the white club's salary scale.

To these two pillars are added Federico Valverde and Arda Güler, while Jude Bellingham is set to have a more ambitious attacking role. The future of Eduardo Camavinga remains unresolved, and there is also Thiago Pitarch, who had prominence last season.

In this equation, Rodri is a luxury that, however desirable, complicates the structure that Florentino has designed.

Price and timing: two difficult obstacles

The operation also stumbles on material issues. Manchester City sets an initial demand of 70 million euros, a figure the English club knows is difficult to sustain given that the Spanish midfielder has a contract until 2027. In other words: City has all the advantages in any eventual negotiation.

Furthermore, there is a feeling in the white club's environment that this was an operation that should have been closed before the World Cup, when Rodri's value was more affordable. As happened with Bernardo Silva or Cucurella. The Qatar tournament has revalued the Madrid player, and this is reflected both in the figure the City demands and in its negotiating position.

Health and the time factor

There is another aspect that weighs on Florentino's reflection: last season in the English league, Rodri suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that forced Pep Guardiola to manage his minutes carefully. His performance at club level was not as expected for much of the year, although he managed to reach peak form at the right moment for the World Cup.

Real Madrid needs immediate certainties, not promises of gradual recovery. That time analysis works against the operation.

What plays in favour

But not everything is obstacles. Rodri has never rejected the Real Madrid option when it has been raised in the mixed zone or in a press interview. His desire to return to Spain is real. And right now, he is in a privileged position to secure the last major signing of his career before entering his prime.

The question is whether Florentino Pérez will consider that fulfilling the fans' wishes is worth sacrificing the balance that has cost him so much to build.