How did Barcelona 'snatch' Rodri from Real Madrid?

For a long time, it seemed the fairy tale of a king returning to his castle would reach its final chapter at the Bernabeu. But in the end, Rodri—a Madrid native—landed at the arch-rivals Barcelona.

Rodri is a son of Madrid, yet he chose Barcelona.

"After Diomande… comes Rodri," Spain's Marca headlined earlier this month. The article's author stated: "At Real Madrid, there is great optimism about signing the Spanish midfielder, the perfect piece for the spectacular project led by Jose Mourinho."

Another Spanish newspaper even made a stronger claim in a recent article: "The Man City player has no doubts and is only considering one option. If he leaves Manchester, his only possible destination is Real Madrid." Unsurprisingly, many believed that would be the outcome. Why would the Spain captain, a World Cup winner who just turned 30 in June and is eager to leave England to return home, not choose the glory of the world's biggest club?

However, after months of speculation and increasingly firm reports, Rodri ultimately chose Barcelona. This decision surprised many in Spain, as his return to Madrid had long been seen as almost certain. The Bernabeu is just about 32 km from Rodri's hometown of Villanueva de la Canada, where some family members still live. And what we know for sure is that the main reason Rodri wanted to return home was related to his family.

Moreover, it seems that even within Rodri's family, there are Real Madrid fans. Looking back at old photos, it's easy to spot one of Rodri's brothers wearing the famous white, blue, and gold colors of Los Blancos. Although Rodri once played for Atletico Madrid, the connection to Madridismo clearly existed.

However, on Tuesday evening, Rodri completed his move to Barcelona for a fee of £65.4 million and affirmed that this was exactly what he had always wanted. "I want to say that I am very happy to be here. This is a special day, a very important new chapter in my career. Barcelona is a wonderful club, a global benchmark in terms of football approach and the values the team represents. I had other options, but Barcelona was my first choice, and I made that clear."

From the outside, Real Madrid seemed the obvious destination. But the more you learn about Rodri's character and priorities, the easier it is to understand why Barcelona ultimately won out.

Because if there's one thing most of us know about Rodri, it's that he doesn't want people to know too much about him. No Twitter account, no Instagram, no significant public presence. No one knows where he goes on vacation, or even what his pet looks like. There are no posts after training sessions to share his feelings following his back surgery in late July.

More importantly, there is almost no information about what Rodri really thought about his next destination, apart from his carefully prepared, somewhat polished and calculated responses before his rare media appearances.

When asked whether his formative years at Atletico Madrid would prevent him from moving to Real Madrid, Rodri left the door open: "There are other players who have taken that path. Not directly, but over time. You can't turn down the best clubs in the world."

But that was certainly not a public "tease" like Enzo Fernandez's toward Real Madrid ("I really like Madrid"). Rodri simply acknowledged that he was open to a transfer.

Those close to Rodri also kept information almost completely private. The only things one can find are a brother's LinkedIn page and the private Instagram account of his girlfriend Laura Iglesias, which is limited to about 500 followers. Maya Jama, the Love Island host and ex-girlfriend of Ruben Dias, is one of the few allowed into Iglesias's discreet world.

When you piece all that together, and look at what we know about Rodri—a man obsessed with privacy, always grounded, and nurturing what he himself calls a "football addiction"—Barcelona suddenly becomes a much more logical choice.

Real Madrid is about fame: glamorous, luxurious, and the Galacticos. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham. Barcelona, on the other hand, is pure football. Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, and Lionel Messi. They are thinkers, artists who see football as an idea, not just trophies in the cabinet.

A few years ago, Rodri was asked about his Spain teammate Alvaro Morata's comment that he could have won the Ballon d'Or earlier if he had been better at promoting himself.

Rodri replied: "But I don't play football for that. Maybe people want me to be a more marketable player, but I see football differently. I understand how things work, so I don't feel disappointed if I'm overlooked. If one day someone wants to reward me for what I've done, I'll accept it, but it doesn't bother me at all."

At Barcelona, a disciple of the tiki-taka philosophy and positional play propagated by Guardiola will adapt easily. Rodri can control the tempo, showcase his near-perfect passing, and his reading of the game within Hansi Flick's smooth system.

Seven of Rodri's Spain teammates—including five who were with him in the World Cup final—are about to become his club teammates. It's easy to imagine Guardiola occasionally telling his "favorite" about the benefits of playing for Barcelona at Camp Nou. The fact that the Spanish manager left Man City last summer may have inadvertently paved the way for this deal.

Age and the initial transfer fee made Real Madrid president Florentino Perez hesitant. Although Rodri's World Cup performance convinced him that the midfielder was worth signing, Real Madrid clearly did not make an offer attractive enough for Man City to immediately agree.

Barcelona sporting director Deco quickly seized the situation when he noticed that negotiations between Rodri and Real Madrid were stalling. After midfielder Frenkie de Jong was injured returning from the World Cup, Barcelona realized it was time to act.

Barca's initial offer was reportedly only around £40 million, significantly below Man City's valuation. But once Rodri informed Real Madrid that Barcelona was his choice, the rest was just negotiation to reach an agreement.

Man City had reason to be satisfied with the £65.4 million for a player who had turned 30. After a difficult previous season, where Rodri struggled to regain form following ACL recovery, he made a strong comeback at the World Cup. Whether Rodri can maintain that upward momentum in the new season remains to be seen.

Man City still wanted to bring in an experienced player to fill the void left by Rodri, even though they had already spent about £80 million on 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

In his farewell message to Man City fans on the club's website, Rodri wrote: "I realize that saying goodbye is one of the hardest things in life, but I'll try. I knew I was joining a top team, but I never imagined we could create such a legacy, with all the trophies, global fans, love, and respect.

"We created a model to inspire future generations, not just by our success but by how we achieved it. The fans have been with us every step of the way.

"Man City not only helped me grow as a player. They also helped me grow as a person. I saw my brother graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University. I saw my girlfriend work for the NHS. Manchester shaped my entire life. It's time to say goodbye. Thank you to the club, the fans, the staff, and my teammates. This journey wouldn't have been the same without you. My heart will always be blue."

Now, Man City must also adapt to life without a player who can be considered one of the most important signings in the club's history. In seven years, Rodri's trophy collection at Man City includes 4 Premier League titles, 3 League Cups, 2 FA Cups, 1 Champions League, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup (if that is counted).

Rodri played 298 matches for Man City, averaging 77 minutes per game. That number would have been higher without the cautious management during his comeback from a knee injury in 2025.

But Rodri was more than just a player on the pitch. He was a leader in the dressing room, and Man City now must find ways to add more experienced players to balance the young squad after his departure.

In fact, Barcelona had a chance to sign Rodri as early as 2018. After his impressive debut season in La Liga with Villarreal, Barcelona—then looking for Sergio Busquets' successor—turned their attention to Rodri. But Atletico Madrid wanted to bring their academy product back to the capital. Rodri moved to Atletico, before joining Guardiola's Man City in rainy Manchester a year later.

This time, Barcelona had no intention of repeating that mistake. And they succeeded!