Real Madrid passed up the chance to sign Rodri, and they are now paying a heavy price. Their midfield shortcomings, laid bare against Inter Milan, stem from the absence of a controller at the level the Barcelona man provides.
Sport newspaper reported that José Mourinho's team fail to impose themselves on matches, leaning on quick transitions as their main weapon to give Vinícius, Mbappé and Bellingham the chance to finish attacks in the final third.
Opponents, though, keep winning the ball back, then turn it into danger and chances of their own. Courtois spared the Madrid side major damage, all because Real did not do everything in their power to land Rodri.
Madrid preferred a more attack-minded player in Bernardo Silva, whom Barcelona rejected. They continue to rely on Tchouaméni, Valverde and Camavinga to build play, despite none possessing Rodri's talent.
Constructing attacks and creating chances remains the unfinished task for Mourinho's men. Arda Güler or Trent Alexander-Arnold may offer makeshift fixes, but every one of these options falls short of what Rodri can offer.
That is why the Madrid club have begun to move ahead of the winter transfer window, a market in which they can address the shortage in this position. The name is one they chased in the summer and who may now represent an available opportunity: Arsenal star Martín Zubimendi.
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