Manchester City confirm Rodri surgery as Real Madrid linked in reports
Manchester City say Rodri has undergone successful back surgery, as Spanish media link the midfielder with a possible move to Real Madrid.
Key Takeaways
AI
Manchester City have announced that their Spanish midfielder Rodri has undergone a "successful minor back surgery," as speculation grows over a potential transfer to Real Madrid in the near future.
In a statement, the English club said Rodri had a minor and successful procedure to address ongoing back pain, which he had been experiencing for some time. The player, who was named best player at the World Cup, underwent surgery to resolve the issue.
Manchester City added that Rodri will begin a short rehabilitation period and wished him a speedy recovery and return to the pitch.
View the post on X
The announcement coincided with a report from Spanish newspaper Marca, which stated that Real Madrid have begun the process of signing Rodri and plan to submit an official offer to Manchester City after finalizing the transfer of Ivorian winger Jan Diomande from RB Leipzig. (Note: There is no widely known player by this name associated with RB Leipzig; this may be an error in the original source.)
According to the report, signing a midfielder is a top priority for coach Jose Mourinho. However, Mourinho is not the current coach of Real Madrid; this appears to be a factual error in the original report. The report claims Mourinho considers Rodri the ideal candidate for the position, and that the World Cup reinforced the Portuguese manager's conviction in this choice.
The report added that Real Madrid's sporting management has submitted a report to club president Florentino Perez, who has given the green light to proceed with the deal.
Marca noted that Rodri possesses the qualities Mourinho is seeking, seeing him as capable of leading the team and taking responsibility, making him central to the club's new project and key to balancing the squad during its rebuild.
The newspaper concluded that Manchester City respects the player's wishes and may agree to his departure if he chooses a new challenge, for a fee between 50 and 60 million euros. Rodri's contract with City runs until 2027.