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Rodri has opened up about the intensity of Real Madrid's pursuit of him this summer, describing his ultimate decision to join Barcelona instead as a "complicated" one.
The 30-year-old found himself at the heart of a Clásico transfer battle, with both clubs aggressively chasing his signature once it became apparent he would be departing Manchester City.
Madrid were widely considered the early favorites to secure Rodri, and new boss José Mourinho was known to be a strong admirer of the midfielder, who led Spain to World Cup glory in North America.
However, Barcelona—driven by the urgency to find a replacement for the sidelined Frenkie de Jong—intensified their efforts and ultimately prevailed in the transfer battle, dealing a significant blow to their fierce rivals.
Rodri Says Madrid 'Went All Out' to Sign Him
In an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, Rodri spoke candidly about Madrid's interest and how close he came to choosing a different path.
"From my perspective, I have to say that Madrid showed interest right from the start and conducted themselves in an exemplary way," said Rodri.
"It's obvious they were keen and gave everything they had to show that interest, which I genuinely appreciate, because I spoke with some of them and that was that.
"I spoke with people there who expressed their enthusiasm and desire for me to join, and that certainly made my decision more difficult—that much is clear."
Even Mourinho Couldn't Convince Rodri
The former Manchester City midfielder also disclosed that he had direct conversations with Mourinho, admitting he was "attracted" by the manager's vision.
"My relationship with Mourinho was very positive," he said. "He shared his enthusiasm, his footballing philosophy, what I could bring to the team, what he expected from me—and I found that very appealing."
On why he ultimately chose Barça over Madrid, Rodri attributed the decision to several factors—much to the frustration of his Los Blancos-supporting friends.
He added: "My decision was purely football-based: where I could develop and contribute more, lead a squad full of young talent, and play in a style that suits my understanding of the game. There were no sentimental or financial motivations involved.
"Almost all my friends support Real Madrid, but I put the matter to rest immediately: 'Don't give me a hard time—if you can hold back the jokes, we'll keep them between us.'"
Controller's Absence Felt at Madrid
After missing out on Rodri, Real Madrid failed to bring in any midfielder during the summer transfer window—despite reported interest in the likes of Enzo Fernández and Ayyoub Bouaddi, both of whom ended up at Manchester City.
Rodri had been identified as the type of elite deep-lying playmaker that Madrid's midfield has lacked since Toni Kroos hung up his boots in 2024.
As the 2026–27 campaign gets underway, Mourinho has tried various midfield combinations within his favored 4-2-3-1 setup, with Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga, and academy product Thiago Pitarch all capable of filling the two pivot positions.
None of those players, however, matches Rodri's profile, and a lack of midfield control has been a recurring problem for Los Blancos in recent weeks—most visibly in the 2–1 derby loss to Atlético Madrid before the international break.
Rodri, meanwhile, has made a perfect start to life at Barcelona, appearing in six of their seven La Liga fixtures so far this season.