Real Madrid Abandoned Rodri Pursuit Due to Player Hesitation, Says Mourinho

Real Madrid missed out on signing Rodri after the midfielder chose to join Barcelona on a permanent contract running until June 30, 2030, in a deal. Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho revealed that player hesitation ultimately led the club to abandon its pursuit of the Manchester City star.

The race for one of world football’s most coveted midfielders ended not in the Spanish capital, but with a high-profile move to Camp Nou. Barcelona announced a permanent agreement with Manchester City for Rodri on a contract running until June 30, 2030. The deal cost Barcelona around €60 million ($70 million) upfront, with performance-related add-ons capable of pushing the total package up by a further €15 million, according to reporting from Tempo. Separate coverage notes the total transaction value reached a huge deal as the 2024 Ballon d’Or and World Cup Golden Ball recipient swapped Manchester for Catalonia.

Jose Mourinho Reveals Why Real Madrid Abandoned the Pursuit

Real Madrid had initially positioned themselves as favorites to bring the defensive midfielder back to Spain following his six influential years under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Behind the scenes, the club’s newly reappointed manager took personal charge of recruitment efforts. Mourinho revealed that he personally spoke with Rodri several times about a potential transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Negotiations between Madrid and Manchester City were progressing smoothly, backed by an attractive financial proposal. However, the move stalled over the player’s own internal reservations. Rodri had doubts, he doubted, and I think what happened is that the doubts Rodri had, gave me doubts, Mourinho said.

“He’s an extraordinary player. But I think Real Madrid are so big that we can’t have players who think twice. That’s the concept. But he behaved properly with us, and I wish him well.”

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid Head Coach

That hesitation served as a dealbreaker for the Portuguese coach. Rather than pressuring a hesitant target, Madrid walked away from the negotiation table, clearing the path for Barcelona to secure the signature.

Squad Depth and the Decision Not to Chase Alternatives

While missing out on a player of Rodri’s caliber would normally trigger frantic late-window spending, Mourinho insisted that his squad required no emergency additions. Addressing reporters ahead of his side’s LaLiga opener, the manager characterized the failed transfer as a missed luxury rather than a structural emergency.

“Then you can ask, ‘If you don’t have a deficit, why did you want to sign Rodri?’ He would have been the cherry on top, he’s a great player, he’s a player with great experience, with great status. If we could have had him, we would have had him and we would have improved. But when you have Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde, Bernardo, Guler … it’s not that we have a problem or that we needed to go for another player.”

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid Head Coach

Madrid’s summer recruitment has already brought six new arrivals to the Spanish capital: Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Yan Diomande, Ibrahima Konate, and Carlos Espi. With those pieces in place, Mourinho confirmed that he considers the squad closed for the remainder of the transfer window, deflecting blame for last season’s trophy-less campaign away from individual roster gaps.

Opening the Campaign at Espanyol

Real Madrid begin their domestic campaign under Mourinho’s second stint with a fixture against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium. The club enters the match carrying historical momentum, holding the best unbeaten run on the opening matchday in LaLiga history, having avoided defeat in their opening fixture across the last 17 seasons since August 2008.

Real Madrid Abandoned Rodri Pursuit Due to Player Hesitation, Says Mourinho — Photo: Fotmob

Mourinho faces unique preparation hurdles heading into the weekend. Several key contributors—including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Marc Cucurella—returned with shortened pre-seasons after deep runs at the World Cup. Refusing to reveal his starting XI, the manager noted the wide disparity in player readiness across his roster.

“It’s another season, another game. Some players have had 36 training sessions and six games, others five training sessions and only part of a game.”

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid Head Coach

Espanyol enter the fixture following a 3-0 victory over Levante powered by Roberto Fernandez, while Madrid look to Vinicius Junior—who has scored five career goals against Espanyol—to spearhead their attack on opening weekend.