October 25
The Royal Club was confident the deal would be finalized.
Signing Rodri was one of the biggest surprises of the summer transfer window for Barcelona; the Catalan club managed to secure the deal, even though Real Madrid believed the midfielder was on the verge of joining them.
The player’s decision came as a shock to the Real Madrid board, who—according to Catalan press reports—believed they had made significant progress toward an agreement spanning four seasons.
The evening of August 5th proved to be the turning point, as Rodri chose to move to Barcelona rather than Real Madrid, denying Florentino Pérez the chance to sign a player the "White Club" had considered all but certain to join their ranks.
The decision followed hours of negotiations and discussions, ultimately resulting in the player rejecting the project at Real Madrid, which was then led by José Mourinho.
Florentino Pérez was unaware that, at the same time, Rodri was also considering an offer from Barcelona. In a move kept out of the spotlight, Deco—Barcelona’s sporting director—met with Pablo Barquero, the player’s representative, and expressed a willingness to meet the Spanish international’s contractual demands, paving the way for a shift in the deal’s direction.
The sequence of events unfolded between August 1st and 5th, following a meeting between the player’s camp and José Ángel Sánchez, the general manager of Real Madrid. This came after months of hesitation, during which Real Madrid finally decided to pursue the midfielder, having confirmed his desire to leave Manchester City. Complexities of the Negotiations
The negotiations were not without complications; neither Rodri nor his family were entirely satisfied with the stance taken by Real Madrid—and specifically Florentino Pérez—following Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win.
Although the initial friction was set aside and talks regarding a potential deal began, finalizing the transfer remained contingent upon reaching an agreement with Manchester City and securing the player’s definitive consent—neither of which occurred.
At that juncture, Barcelona unexpectedly entered the fray, having learned that Rodri might be available—a development that gained significance as the club realized Frenkie de Jong’s injury was more serious than initially anticipated.
Deco indicated that signing Rodri would be a strategic move, yet he declined to submit a formal offer until the player had reached a final decision. Barcelona’s position was clear: the club would only pursue the deal if Rodri explicitly chose their project and rejected Real Madrid’s offer, at which point the contractual details would be settled.
Evaluating Options
Following his meeting with Barcelona officials, Rodri took two days to reflect, weighing his available options before deciding on his next destination. While Real Madrid had opened their doors to him, Rodri was not fully convinced by the project under Mourinho, and he remained unsettled by how he had been treated by Florentino Pérez over the preceding months.
Conversely, Barcelona appeared an attractive option, as it would allow him to live closer to his family in Madrid, in addition to his alignment with the style of play employed by the Catalan side. He also held discussions with several of his national team colleagues who were already at Barcelona, which helped him gain insight into the atmosphere within the dressing room and assess how well he might fit into the squad.
According to the report, Rodri concluded that a move to the Camp Nou was the best option for his career—both in terms of sporting aspects and the team environment, which he felt was better suited to him than the situation at Real Madrid.
A Shock for Madrid
Once his decision was made, all that remained was to formally notify both clubs. On August 5, Rodri’s agent conveyed his consent to Deco, before reaching out to Real Madrid officials to express his gratitude and definitively decline their offer—leaving no room for further negotiations.
The shock within the royal club was palpable; officials had not expected the player to back away from an agreement they believed was nearing completion. The news reached Florentino Pérez while he was vacationing in the Cádiz region, disrupting what was meant to be a peaceful break.
Real Madrid’s shock stemmed not only from losing out on Rodri, but also from the fact that he had chosen Barcelona instead. The club had even planned to announce his signing just days after finalizing the deal for Diomandé, which was concluded around the same time.
