Real Madrid need a midfielder who can dictate the tempo and carry the ball cleanly from back to front. Everyone knows it.
That type of player has been missing at the Bernabeu ever since Toni Kroos retired in 2024, with Croatian legend Luka Modric following him out the door a year later.
One big name emerged as a candidate at the end of the 2025-2026 season: Rodri Hernandez, the Spain international who anchors the Manchester City midfield.
Florentino Perez, though, hesitated over the deal for a few key reasons:
* Firstly: the player’s numerous injuries in the recent period.
* Secondly: the impact of these injuries on the player’s level.
* Thirdly: the player’s advancing age, “30 years”.
Other names duly entered the frame as Real looked to reinforce the midfield of Jose Mourinho’s first team.
The story didn’t end there, though. A major twist arrived after the 2026 World Cup.
Rodri rediscovered his very best form, technically and physically, across the tournament on American soil, scooping the Best Player award. That performance forced Perez to think again about signing him.
Cadena SER then dropped a bombshell, reporting that the Merengues dressing room is pushing hard to bring Rodri in.
Now Perez must make his call: sign Rodri, chase a different name, or roll the dice and leave the position vacant once more.
Leaving that gap unfilled would be a huge gamble. It would mean leaning on Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde together, and the pair are on famously bad terms.