The summer transfer window is starting to heat up. Real Madrid have made it official that Jose Mourinho will be their next manager, and with that, The Special One will start to reshape the roster. Two Manchester City midfielders are on the radar right now, Bernardo Silva and Rodri. Silva is a free agent (technically, on June 30 when his current contract expires) in need of a new club, so his hypothetical switch would be a lot easier.
According to various outlets, this transfer is nearing completion, with an agreement having already been reached.
According to Fabrizio Romano, it only took 36 hours to go the start of talks to full agreement between club, player and all parties involved. So all those headlines that you might have seen with “talks in advanced stages” a few hours ago, those are now obsolete if Romano’s report is accurate.
Silva will join Madrid on a two-year deal, with an option for a third. He leaves the Etihad after nine glorious years, in which he helped accomplish six Premier League titles and the club’s first ever Champions League trophy. The Portugese midfileder had 153 goal contributions with City.
Could Rodri be potentially joining Bernardo Silva at the Bernabeu?
🚨 Real Madrid are now not expected to advance for Rodri this summer after Bernardo deal.
Not a priority for Florentino Pérez + up to Rodri whether he wants to sign new deal at #MCFC (still on the table) or leave in 2027 on a free. 👀
🎥➕ https://t.co/baFrE4u1fl pic.twitter.com/gLojTeqWHH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, 2026
Romano has that scoop as well. Rodri, as injury prone as he may be, is still one of the Premier League’s most influential midfielders of all time. You can see that in what City’s win rate has been with him, versus without him, in recent years. Madrid are interested, and they will pursue the midfield maestro, according to Fab.
When asked about his club future, and the interest from Los Blancos, Rodri played it coy. Currently with the Spain national team (who are interestingly enough headquartered in Chattanooga, TN of all places) at the 2026 World Cup, Rodri gave the standard issue type of response.
“I understand, it’s part of the game,” he said of the speculation on his future (as quoted by the Manchester Evening News)
“I haven’t even thought about my future. My focus is on [the] World Cup. I’m under contract at Man City.”
Rodri has one more season left to run on his Man City contract.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.