Rodri's move to Barcelona is entering its final stages, with the Spain midfielder now settled on a switch to the Catalan club. Fresh details have emerged about why he slammed the door on Real Madrid, despite talks between the two sides having reached an advanced stage.
Spanish journalist Ramon Alvarez de Mon revealed on his YouTube channel that Rodri met Jose Angel Sanchez, Real Madrid's chief executive, after the World Cup. During that meeting, Rodri showed his openness to wearing the Real Madrid shirt. But he also aimed three key criticisms at the club, and those shaped the course of the negotiations before the deal ground to a halt.
The delay in sealing the deal
Rodri's first objection concerned Real Madrid's delay in moving for him. There were also numerous leaks suggesting president Florentino Perez had been reluctant to complete the deal at all.
Los Blancos only turned towards the player once his knee was confirmed sound, and after the exceptional level he showed at the World Cup, where he won the award for the tournament's best player. That boosted his technical value and pushed the club to step up their interest.
Questions about Real Madrid's project
The second criticism related to the image of the sporting project at Real Madrid. Rodri had reservations about how the club had handled the deal and the timing they chose to make their move, feeling that signing him had never been a clear priority from the start.
Talks had reached an advanced stage, yet these concerns chipped away at the player's conviction and left him more open to studying the other options in front of him.
"Dressing room problems"
According to the same account, the most sensitive point in Rodri's conversation was talk of problems inside Real Madrid's dressing room.
Alvarez de Mon said Rodri told the club's management that he had heard about problems within the team, and he wanted clarity on the situation in the dressing room. Real Madrid then met the player's demands and reached an initial agreement over his transfer.
At that point, the deal looked almost done, especially with Rodri open to moving to the Spanish capital. Then Barcelona entered the negotiations forcefully and changed the player's calculations.
Barcelona turn the scene around
While Real Madrid negotiated with Manchester City over the deal, they never gave Rodri's transfer absolute priority. Other matters had taken over, among them the signing of Diomande and the renewal of Vinicius's contract.
Barcelona pounced on that hesitation to force their way into the race, leaving Rodri weighing up two very different options. He eventually leaned towards the Catalan project, feeling it suited his ambitions on both a technical and personal level.
Why did Rodri prefer Barcelona?
Knowing several of Barcelona's international players was one of the factors that helped Rodri make his decision. So too were his belief in the Catalan club's sporting project and his admiration for a style of play that suits his characteristics and capabilities on the pitch.
Rodri and Barcelona have also struck a financial agreement, pending the final deal between the Catalan club and Manchester City before the move becomes official.
A deal that once looked closer to Real Madrid has swung towards another destination. Rodri's reservations, Real Madrid's hesitation and Barcelona's entry at the perfect moment all combined to change the course of a player now just a few steps away from wearing the Catalan shirt.