Rodri, the most valuable Spanish footballer in history

Rodri’s meteoric rise has been breathtaking. After making his way up through the youth ranks at Villarreal and Atlético Madrid, he was snapped up in July 2019 by Manchester City, where he managed to keep a legendary star like Fernandinho out of the starting XI.

His impact was immediate and his progression continued at the Etihad. Today, he is considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world in terms of level and consistency. He is always present and always delivers when the team needs him. Back in May, he played a pivotal role the Champions League final - his winner decided the game, allowing City to be crowned European champions for the time time in club history.

This season, he has debuted as one of Guardiola’s captains. He is a key player in the manager’s set-up and was instrumental in helping City clinch the treble - Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, last season. That dependency has continued into the current season in which City suffered without the talisman - the team’s only three league defeats (against Wolves, Arsenal and Villa) came when Rodri was unavailable.

He was the MVP of last season’s Champions League, and in October, he came fifth in the voting for this year’s Ballon d’Or. His importance has also been reflected in the economic sector.

On Tuesday, Transfermarkt put him at the top of the list of top-valued Spanish footballers. According to the website, any club wishing to lure him from the Etihad would have to pay 110 million euros. That is 40 million euros more than what City paid Atlético for the player in the summer of 2019.

The midfielder has knocked Pedri, valued at 100 million, from first place to become the most valuable Spanish players. In previous years, four players have occupied top spot: Isco, Saúl Ñíguez, Asensio and Gavi - all having a market value estimate of 90 million euros.