'His doubts created doubts' - Jose Mourinho reveals why Real Madrid ended pursuit of new Barcelona signing Rodri

Rodri has officially completed a blockbuster summer transfer to Barcelona. The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner was unveiled in Catalonia on Tuesday, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract running until June 2030.

Barcelona reached a full agreement with City for a guaranteed base fee of €60 million. However, performance-based add-ons could see the total valuation rise to a staggering €76.5m.

The Spanish international had pushed to leave the Etihad Stadium after a wildly successful stint. Los Blancos initially pushed hardest to pull off the high-profile transfer, with agent Pablo Barquero confirming they made an irresistible offer, before the midfielder chose their arch-rivals.

Madrid manager Mourinho has now lifted the lid on their failed pursuit. The veteran tactician confirmed that the Spanish giants made a lucrative contract proposal, but the player's hesitation ultimately killed the deal.

"I spoke to him a couple of times and Real Madrid made him a very good offer," Mourinho explained to El Chiringuito. "I think there is a very good relationship with City. Without negotiating with City, the club made contact with Rodri, they made him a major offer. Rodri had doubts, he hesitated and Rodri’s doubts created doubts for me.

"He is an extraordinary player and was very respectful with us, nothing negative to say, but Real Madrid is of a dimension that cannot have players who second-guess themselves, you make contact and the player asks you: When do I have to go? That’s somewhat the concept, but he was very respectful with us. I wish him well… not too well, obviously… but I wish him well."

Despite missing out on the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner, Mourinho dismissed any notion of lingering regret. After the Toni Kroos and Luka Modric era ends, many viewed Rodri as the perfect replacement to dictate tempo. However, Mourinho shut down claims that his squad suffers from an operational void in the engine room. The Portuguese boss firmly believes in player development and trusts his current crop of talent.

"I am not lacking Rodri," Mourinho stated. "We are not lacking players. I’m not saying there won’t be any more signings because the market is open, but if you ask me directly if it’s closed for me… yes. It is closed. I really like the squad."

Throughout pre-season, Mourinho has deployed his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation featuring a double pivot sitting behind the attacking line. Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva logged the heaviest minutes as a midfield tandem during the summer schedule. With the Liga opener fast approaching, Madrid’s midfield dynamic remains a central talking point heading into the new campaign.

Meanwhile, Rodri will now focus on integrating into the Barcelona setup. The midfielder will immediately aim to help his new club defeat Mourinho's men in Spanish title race.