Guardiola: Rodri won’t turn down the chance to move to Real Madrid

Guardiola said: “There isn’t a single player who would turn down the chance to play for Real Madrid. My wish has always been for Rodri to stay at this club for as long as possible, because he is an amazing player of the highest calibre, but everyone’s life is their own.”

Manchester City failed to win any major trophies for the first time in eight years last season, during which Rodri missed most of the campaign due to a knee injury, having won the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

The Spanish star has featured in 28 matches across all competitions this season despite being sidelined for long periods with a hamstring injury, helping the team lift the Carabao Cup against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.

During his time at Manchester City, Rodri has won four Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and three Carabao Cups.

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Guardiola explained that Rodri had, over time, demonstrated “just how committed and close” he was to the club, describing his contribution as “enormous”.

The Spanish manager reiterated that he would not stand in the midfielder’s way “at all” if he wanted to leave, saying: “The club’s interests come before everyone else… If a player is unhappy, he should leave, and we will carry on as normal if everyone is happy, and I believe Rodri is happy.”

Guardiola added: “If Rodri isn’t happy, all he has to do is knock on the sporting director’s door and accept an offer that matches his incredible quality. After that, he won’t belong to the club but only to himself.”

Pep concluded: “I know what the club wants; they’ve told me what they want from Rodri, which is to stay, stay and stay. I’ve always had a positive feeling about that, but in the end, I don’t know what might happen.”