Rodri Reveals How Far Real Madrid Went to Try to Sign Him

Real Madrid Really Went After Rodri

For several weeks during the summer transfer window, Rodri Hernández's future was surrounded by rumors.

Barcelona eventually won the race for the Spanish midfielder, but the player himself has now confirmed that there was a real possibility of ending up on the other side of the rivalry.

In an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, Rodri explained that Real Madrid showed interest from the very beginning and praised the way the club handled the talks.

"Madrid showed interest from the very beginning," the midfielder acknowledged, adding that the proposals he received demonstrated that the club genuinely wanted to sign him.

When asked whether Real Madrid had gone all-in to secure his signature, Rodri left little doubt.

"I don't know what going 100% means, but it's clear they were interested," he explained.

The Spaniard also confirmed that he spoke directly with people at Real Madrid, although he preferred not to reveal whether one of them was Florentino Pérez.

Those conversations, he admitted, ultimately made a decision that eventually took him to Barcelona even more difficult.

Barcelona Ultimately Won One of the Summer's Biggest Battles

The saga finally came to an end on August 18.

Barcelona officially announced an agreement with Manchester City for the signing of Rodri, who signed a contract through June 30, 2030.

The move marked the return to Spain of a player who had spent virtually his entire elite career in England.

After spells with Villarreal and Atlético de Madrid, the midfielder joined Manchester City in 2019 and became one of the most important players of the most successful era in the club's history.

He won four Premier League titles and played a decisive role in the first Champions League triumph in the English club's history, scoring the winning goal in the 2023 final.

His career also reached another level with Spain.

Rodri won Euro 2024, claimed the Ballon d'Or that same year and later played a key role for the Spanish national team that won the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he also received the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

That is why his decision to join Barcelona ultimately became one of the biggest moves of the summer transfer window.

Now we know that Real Madrid came much closer to becoming part of that story than it initially appeared.

Rodri Also Addresses the Madrid Derby Controversy

The conversation was not limited to his future.

Rodri, who knows Atlético de Madrid well after playing for the club during the 2018-19 season, also analyzed its recent 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.

For the midfielder, the result was fair.

He felt Atlético had a greater presence, made better decisions and controlled more of the match, although he also acknowledged that there were refereeing decisions that could have been handled differently.

Especially one.

Rodri believed Kang-In Lee's challenge on Federico Valverde could have resulted in a red card, although he clarified that he does not believe the Atlético player intended to hurt the Uruguayan.

His opinion matches the analysis later released by the Technical Committee of Referees, which acknowledged that the challenge should have resulted in a sending-off for serious foul play and that VAR should have intervened.

Regarding Cuti Romero's challenge on Jude Bellingham, however, Rodri felt it was much more difficult to determine whether a red card was warranted.

A Message Against Refereeing Conspiracy Theories

Precisely because of his past with Atlético, his present with Barcelona and the interest he received from Real Madrid, Rodri finds himself in a unique position to discuss the rivalry between the three clubs.

But the midfielder preferred to distance himself from any theories surrounding refereeing.

For the Spaniard, mistakes are part of soccer and can hurt any team over the course of a season.

That is why he also rejected narratives that turn every controversial decision into a potential conspiracy.

"We're all human and we all make mistakes," Rodri said, adding that defending a club's interests is completely understandable, but only up to a certain point.

Interestingly, just weeks after choosing Barcelona, the midfielder once again finds himself in the middle of the rivalry with Real Madrid.

This time, not because of a potential transfer.

But because he has now confirmed just how close that possibility came to becoming a reality.

• Rodri confirmed that Real Madrid showed strong interest in signing him and that he held talks with people at the club before choosing Barcelona.
• Barcelona ultimately completed his signing from Manchester City on August 18 and handed him a contract through June 2030.
• The midfielder also felt Kang-In Lee could have been sent off in the Madrid derby, a decision the CTA later acknowledged as a refereeing error.

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