Man City fights Real Madrid for Rodri: Keep 'heart' at all costs

Pep Guardiola and Man City are facing an important task: renewing Rodri's contract while Real Madrid are determined to lure him.

Rodri extension: Mission must not fail

Man City are facing one of the most important tasks of the 2025/26 season: extending Rodri's contract.

It's not simply about keeping a pillar, but protecting the heart that runs Man City's playing style - the person whose absence makes Pep Guardiola's army incredibly fragile.

Man City are welcomed by fans before the new season. Photo: MCFC

After a trophyless 2024/25 season, a rare occurrence in Pep Guardiola's career, Man City understand that any mistake in strategic personnel management like Rodri can be very costly.

Rodri's contract runs until June 2027. Real Madrid have made no secret of their desire to lure him to the Bernabeu, especially given that Man City are still facing 115 charges of financial misconduct from the Premier League.

Therefore, City leaders decided to act decisively. A new contract until 2029 has been prepared, with a salary of up to 300,000 pounds/week - the second highest in the team, only after Erling Haaland.

That is a number that reflects Rodri's stature, but it is also the price that Man City must pay to avoid another shock like last season.

If there was ever a time when fans understood how important Rodri was, it was the 2024/25 season – the time when he suffered his most serious injury since joining the club.

Without him, Man City failed to win any title for the first time since 2016/17.

They were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid; lost to Liverpool in the Premier League race, only securing a top three finish at the last minute; lost to Tottenham in the League Cup; were beaten by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.

A systematic chain of collapses whose cause lies at the core juncture: the central midfield position.

Rodri is not only the one who recovers the ball, but also the one who opens the way for every attack, maintaining balance thanks to his ability to distribute the ball accurately.

Last season, without Rodri, Man City went empty-handed. Photo: MCFC

He is the fulcrum for the central defenders to push forward, maintain the rhythm of the midfield and provide the link for the attacking midfielders to be free to create. When Rodri is not playing, Man City lose control and balance.

Pep once said: “If I had two Rodris, I would rest one and use one every game. But I only have one, and without him, we play differently.”

Without Rodri, everyone goes backwards.

In fact, not only the tactical system was affected, but the performance of other stars also declined significantly.

Haaland, the Premier League's highest earner – £525,000 a week – has just endured his lowest-performing season since leaving Norway (see table).

Partly due to injury, but partly due to the lack of support from midfield in Rodri's absence.

The gaps and the cuts to change the state – which is Rodri's specialty – became rare.

Haaland scored fewer goals, had fewer clear-cut chances, and showed he was also reliant on the “smoothness” that Rodri brought to the whole system.

From a financial perspective, if Haaland is considered a priceless asset, then Rodri – with his game-changing role and ability to shield the defense – cannot be undervalued too much.

Rodri currently receives 220,000 pounds/week, not even in the top 5 highest paid people at Etihad - ranked 21st in the Premier League, behind Gabriel Jesus (265,000), Mason Mount or Jadon Sancho (both 250,000)...

Without Rodri, Man City's overall performance has decreased. Photo: MCFC

The offer of a £300,000-a-week increase is not a favour, but a proper recognition for the man who has carried City through many seasons – from the fateful volley in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan, to a series of big matches where he always controlled the game.

Rodri just turned 29 (June 22) – the most mature age in a central midfielder's career.

Thanks to his vision, ability to read the game and the experience he has accumulated under Guardiola, he is more than just a player; he is Pep's “tactical counterpart” on the pitch.

Keeping the EURO 2024 champions until 2029 is a decisive step, aiming to ensure long-term stability for a system that is inherently too complex to replace piece by piece.

More importantly, it was a statement that Man City not only want to keep the trophy… but also keep the players who can bring it back to the Etihad.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/man-city-dau-real-madrid-vi-rodri-giu-trai-tim-bang-moi-gia-2429799.html