Jose Mourinho has reportedly been left shocked by the circumstances surrounding Rodri’s proposed transfer from Manchester City to Real Madrid, with the midfielder now believed to be leaning towards a move to Barcelona.
According to journalist Sergio Valentin, Rodri’s agent, Jorge Mendes, explained to Mourinho how negotiations between the relevant parties had developed. The account claims the Real Madrid manager was particularly surprised that the club had failed to complete the transfer after previously reaching an agreement with Rodri himself.
Real Madrid had also reportedly moved close to an arrangement with Manchester City. However, despite the apparent progress on both fronts, the deal did not reach completion, leaving the proposed move to the Madrid club in doubt.
Rodri’s next destination is now uncertain, although the latest information suggests the Spain international is favouring a transfer to Barcelona. That would represent a significant change in the direction of the negotiations and could prevent Real Madrid from securing a player they had already made substantial progress towards signing.
The details were reported by Sergio Valentin, who said Mendes had outlined the sequence of events to Mourinho. The information indicated that Real Madrid had first reached an understanding with Rodri before approaching the stage of being close to an agreement with Manchester City.
Mourinho is understood to have been extremely surprised that the transfer ultimately did not go through. The reported reaction centres on the contrast between the progress previously made and the failure to conclude the deal.
There has been no further detail provided on why the negotiations broke down. The available account only states that Real Madrid had an agreement with Rodri and was near an agreement with Manchester City, while the transfer itself was not completed.
Rodri’s preference for Barcelona, if the latest reports prove correct, would give the Catalan club an advantage in the developing situation. It would also leave Real Madrid facing the possibility of losing out despite appearing to have established a strong position in the negotiations.
The midfielder’s reported agreement with a Spanish club has also brought renewed attention to the reasons behind the collapse of his proposed move to Real Madrid. Those reasons have now become a central part of the story, following the claim that Mourinho was informed directly about the course of the talks by Mendes.
For the moment, Rodri’s future remains unresolved. The latest reports point towards Barcelona as his preferred destination, while the circumstances of the failed Real Madrid deal continue to generate surprise.
