José Mourinho has revealed the thinking behind Real Madrid’s decision to abandon their pursuit of Rodri before the midfielder completed his blockbuster move to Barcelona.
The Spain international was a major target for Madrid after deciding to leave Manchester City, but the club ultimately stepped away from negotiations. Rodri has since joined Barcelona in a deal worth a reported €60 million plus add-ons, signing a contract until 2030.
[Reuters +1]
Mourinho has now explained that the uncertainty he sensed from Rodri played a decisive role.
"“Yes, a couple of times. Real Madrid made him an important offer. Rodri had doubts. His doubts created doubts in me.”"
That admission offers a fascinating insight into how a transfer that once appeared to be heading towards the Santiago Bernabéu ultimately collapsed.
According to Mourinho, Real Madrid were prepared to make a serious attempt for the 30-year-old midfielder.
However, Rodri's uncertainty over the move became an issue.
Rather than pushing ahead regardless, Mourinho appears to have interpreted those doubts as a warning that the player was not completely convinced about joining Madrid.
For a club of Real Madrid's stature, that can be significant.
Mourinho's philosophy was clear: Madrid should not be chasing a player who is unsure about joining them.
While Madrid stepped back, Barcelona remained interested and moved decisively.
Rodri eventually chose the Catalan club, completing his return to Spain after seven highly successful seasons at Manchester City.
His City spell included four Premier League titles and the Champions League, while he also won the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
[Reuters]
Barcelona have now secured one of the most accomplished midfielders in world football.
For Mourinho, however, there appears to be little regret over Madrid's decision.
The Portuguese manager has insisted that Real Madrid did not necessarily need Rodri badly enough to ignore the player's hesitation.
Madrid's interest was understandable.
Rodri has spent much of his career operating as one of football's elite defensive midfielders, combining ball retention with positional intelligence and the ability to control matches from deep.
He would also have brought significant experience to a Madrid midfield undergoing a transition.
Instead, Mourinho and the club ultimately decided that the uncertainty surrounding the player's desire to join was enough to change their plans.
That decision has now become more interesting because Rodri has ended up at Madrid's biggest domestic rival.
Rodri's move to Barcelona has turned what might initially have appeared to be a routine transfer decision into one of the summer's biggest stories in Spain.
Barcelona have brought in a player who can provide control and experience to a midfield built around younger talents such as Pedri and Gavi.
Hansi Flick has already described Rodri as “the best No.6 in the world”, underlining the expectations surrounding the signing.
Meanwhile, Madrid have moved on with their own squad plans under Mourinho.
The decision not to force the Rodri deal therefore represents a clear statement about how the new Madrid regime intends to approach recruitment.
The most revealing part of Mourinho's comments may be what he did not say.
He did not blame Barcelona.
He did not suggest Madrid were beaten financially.
Instead, he pointed towards Rodri's own uncertainty.
For Mourinho, the equation was apparently simple: if the player had doubts about joining Real Madrid, those doubts were enough to create doubts within the club itself.
Rodri is now a Barcelona player.
Madrid must live with that decision — and Mourinho appears comfortable doing so.
●⚽ Goal: Did Real Madrid make the right decision by walking away from Rodri?
●🔥 Fire: Would Rodri have made Madrid stronger than Barcelona?
●😲 Shock: Did Mourinho allow Madrid to miss a generational midfield signing?
●👍 Like: Was Rodri's hesitation enough reason to abandon the deal?
●💬 Comment: Who will benefit more from Rodri's move — Barcelona or Real Madrid?
