Real Madrid Plot Stunning €130 Million Move for Rodri as Florentino Pérez Eyes Next Galáctico
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez is reportedly ready to make another blockbuster move in the transfer market. According to the Daily Star, Los Blancos are preparing a record-breaking €130 million (£130m) bid to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernández — even if it means selling key squad members to fund the deal.
Xabi Alonso Wants a True Midfield Conductor
Despite their wealth of midfield talent, Real Madrid still lack the kind of deep-lying orchestrator Xabi Alonso values most. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Fede Valverde offer energy and power, but neither fits the precise “pivot” profile Alonso is seeking following Toni Kroos’s retirement.
Arda Güler has been tested in a deeper role, showing flashes of creativity, yet his natural game remains more attacking and direct. The Madrid hierarchy now see Rodri — fresh off his 2024 Ballon d’Or triumph — as the ideal heir to Kroos, capable of dictating tempo and anchoring play from deep.
Real Madrid Ready to Strike Before City Renew
Rodri’s current contract runs until June 2027, but he has yet to agree to an extension with Manchester City. Real Madrid view this as a narrow window of opportunity — and Pérez is reportedly determined to act before City secure the Spaniard’s long-term future.
Proposed Offer: €130 million / £130 million
Objective: Make Rodri the new cornerstone of the Xabi Alonso era
City are understood to be unwilling to sell, given Rodri’s central role under Pep Guardiola. However, reports suggest the midfielder has been managing a knee issue and has privately admitted he’s not felt fully fit since returning — a concern that has prompted quiet discussions about succession planning at the Etihad.
Potential Departures to Fund the Move
To finance the transfer and maintain squad balance, Madrid may be forced to offload one or two midfielders. Dani Ceballos is expected to be among the first to leave, while even Fede Valverde’s future is said to be uncertain following reported tension with Alonso. Although Valverde publicly denied claims that he refused to play at right-back, speculation about his relationship with the manager persists.
Florentino’s Clear Intent
If Real Madrid place €130 million on the table, Pérez’s message will be unmistakable — Rodri is next in line to join the Galáctico lineage.
Talks remain at an early stage, but sources close to the club insist the president has made his decision:
Real Madrid need a new midfield general.
And for Florentino Pérez and Xabi Alonso, that man is Rodri Hernández.
