Why have Real Madrid never tried to sign Man City midfielder Rodri?

After watching Rodri Hernández give a midfield masterclass in Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid, many are wondering how it can be that Los Blancos have never tried to sign him. “Everyone talks about [Erling] Haaland, but without Rodri this wouldn’t have been possible,” City boss Pep Guardiola said on Wednesday after his side’s 4-0 second-leg victory, which booked the Premier League champions’ spot in June’s final against Inter.

From Madrid - but never in frame for Real move

A player who hails from Villafranca del Castillo, a town located just 30km from the Bernabéu, Rodri has strong ties to the Madrid region - yet he has never been on Real’s radar. Neither as a youth player, nor since going pro. It’s very hard to understand why.

Throughout his career, the former Atlético Madrid and Villarreal midfielder has attracted the attentions of European juggernauts - and in 2019, it was City’s Guardiola who identified the Spaniard as a unique talent for a key position, taking him to Manchester in exchange for his Atlético release clause: €70 million. Given Rodri’s performances for City and, at 26, the time he still has left at the elite level, it’s a deal that can only be considered as money very well spent.

Dominant in UCL semi-final win

Rodri was his side’s stand-out player in both legs against Madrid. At the Etihad Stadium, the Spain international’s stats were particularly impressive: he won the ball back 14 times, had the most touches (124), made the most passes (113), won 100% of his tackles, won seven duels, won two aerial duels, created two chances and never once allowed a Madrid player to dribble past him.

Madrid could really do with Rodri right now...

Rodri’s dominant displays at the base of the City midfield come at a time when anchorman has become a problem position for Madrid. In the club’s first season without Casemiro, Aurélien Tchouaméni has struggled to settle since joining in a big-money move from Monaco. Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has had to draft in Toni Kroos as the team’s holding midfielder, despite the fact that the German is ill at ease in the role. Only Eduardo Camavinga, who in turn is having to fill a hole at left-back, has been up to scratch in the position.

In recent years, Madrid’s transfer policy has largely been successful; but, with Rodri now widely considered to be the world’s leading anchorman, there are question marks over how the club could overlook the madrileño.

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