Real Madrid need to move heaven and earth to sign Rodri this summer and finally solve their massive midfield problem

Currently, Madrid find themselves far too open when they don't have the ball, nor are they particularly effective in possession. Their teams of old, when at their brilliant best, were commanding going in both directions. They could as easily control the tempo as they could snuff out counter-attacks. Sure, that was a question of system, but it also relied on elite individuals. 

Currently, Aurelien Tchouameni operates as Madrid's sole deep-lying midfielder. In effect, the former Monaco man is told to hold down the middle by himself, and there is a sense that Tchouameni is doing all he can given his limitations. He lacks pace and, even if his understanding of the game has developed, Tchouameni often gets caught in adverse situations after being too easily pulled left or right. 

On the ball, things can get equally shaky. Madrid ideally need a tempo-setter, someone to calm things down in possession, and speed play up at the right time. Tchouameni is an accurate sideways passer, but his ability to play line-breaking balls can be questioned. According to FotMob, his long ball accuracy is at 55 percent - putting him in the 56th percentile among midfielders in Europe.

One can only wonder how Tchouameni might have developed had Madrid effectively replaced Kroos back in 2024. The ex-Germany international enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career during what proved to be a perfect swansong after a glittering tenure in Madrid white. Kroos was immense at the base of midfield, and helped Los Blancos complete a Champions League-La Liga double. Sure, that season will be remembered for Vinicius' quality and Jude Bellingham's outstanding debut, but Kroos was the one who made it all tick. 

At the time, there were some calls for Madrid to dip into the transfer market to replace him - or at least offer some cover. Yet they refused to do so. Kroos made the symbolic gesture of giving Federico Valverde his No.8 shirt, despite the fact that the Uruguayan had never played in a defensive midfield role and was far more accustomed to a box-to-box role. There was a feeling that an ageining Modric could step in and play more, but the veteran couldn't perform with anything like the same regularity as his former partner in crime. 

Thus, in the summer of 2025, Madrid still needed a new midfielder. Alonso asked for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, but he joined Arsenal instead, and there was no other elite player of that ilk on the market. 

Rodri, though, would be the perfect fit. Since 2019, he has served as a constant in Pep Guardiola's evolving Manchester City side, winning the Premier League four times and the Champions League once. Whatever you made of the final result, his performances in 2023-24 were certainly deserving of being on the Ballon d'Or podium as the bear minimum. 

He has shown a crucial versatility, too. Rodri can play as a No.6, No.8, or in a more advanced role, if needed. In effect, Guardiola is able to play with so many attacking midfielders because Rodri can single-handedly hold down the centre of the park, though in that Golden Ball-winning season he also chipped in with 12 goals and 14 assists for club and country.

That same campaign he set a Premier League record with 3,359 successful passes, including 2,122 in the opposition half. City and Spain went undefeated from March 2023 until May 2024 with him in the side, a 73-game streak without losing.

And then there's the physical profile. Rodri is 6'3" and mobile as they come. While he is not necessarily a speedster, he has retained that crucial burst of pace despite his recent ACL injury that helps him track back and win tackles. If Sergio Busquets was the original modern regista, then Rodri is the upgraded version for the 2020s. 

The other element to consider is that Rodri is a Madrid kid. He was born in the Spanish capital and spent one year at Atletico Madrid before moving to City. He has been vocal, too, about his openness to signing for Real Madrid.

"Slamming doors shut on things which might or mightn't happen wouldn't really make sense. If any of the other top clubs in the world show interest in me, then that's positive. When the day comes that I've got to decide my future, when a decision is called for, then the more clubs who want you, the better," he said following his Ballon d'Or win.

His interpretation of the defensive midfield role sounded pretty familiar, too: "One of the most difficult parts of this role is knowing what to do when you win possession: when to take a risk versus when to calm things. I think that's the most important quality for a defensive midfielder, setting the match tempo. Play the ball out and look directly for the forwards all the time, you're 'attacking minded,' but you'll lose possession more often and face many more transitions against you. But if you never play to the forwards, backwards or horizontally, then you'll never get into dangerous scoring areas."

There is an argument to be made that Madrid could still find the answer to their midfield problem from within. Arbeloa has been happy to call up youngsters, such as recent starter Thiago Pitarch, from the academy. Thus far, he has handed out four full debuts, all to some version of midfielder who has serious potential. There is reason to believe, then, that one might develop into a world-beater.

There is also certainly a case to be made for keeping the faith in Tchouameni. The France international cost a lot of money, and he has certainly improved over the course of the season. Eduardo Camavinga, injury issues notwithstanding, has also played in a deeper lying role befor, especially in his younger days at Rennes. If fit, he could be given his chance again. 

There is also the nuclear option of restoring Dani Carvajal at right-back and throwing Trent Alexander-Arnold into a deeper-lying midfield role, with Valverde as a No.8 to add balance and Bellingham just ahead of him. That would certainly make it more difficult, though, to include both Vinicius and Mbappe, given their lack of work rate. 

The good news for Madrid is that Rodri has just 15 months left on his contract, and a new deal doesn't seem to be imminent. Madrid do tend to wait until a player becomes a free agent before making their move if they can help it, but their midfield situation is getting to such a desperate stage that they need to act now.

A price tag is hard to define. City spent north of £60 million to sign Rodri in back in 2019, and despite all he has achieved at the Etihad, they cannot expect to do much more than recoup that fee for a player not far removed from a serious knee injury and who is soon to turn 30 with his contract situation.

Regardless of the money involved, the situation is simple for Madrid: There is a Rodri-shaped hole in their midfield, and they have to do everything they can to fill it right now.