Rodri has become the biggest talking point at Manchester City in recent days.
From winning the World Cup with Spain, being crowned the best player in the tournament and with speculation intensifying around a potential move to Real Madrid, there has been plenty written and spoken about the 30-year-old.
He will undergo surgery on a minor back issue on Monday which is set to sideline him for a few weeks, but Blues boss Enzo Maresca spoke about the midfielder returning to City once he’s fit.
That is a reassuring message for Blues fans even if the new manager stopped short of steadfastly rejecting any talk of a possible departure for Rodri.
His ability, experience and leadership are just three of the attributes that make him a world class operator and in a summer where City have seen Bernardo Silva, for large periods of last season Rodri’s partner in the middle of the park, bring an end to his Etihad career, the need to retain Rodri seems imperative.
Elliot Anderson has arrived in a club-record £116million deal and Ayyoub Bouaddi may well follow him from Lille with the French club seeking £80million for the talented teenager’s services. But it would be a brave and arguably foolish move to allow Rodri to leave this summer when there is an opportunity for Anderson and Co to learn from one of the best in the business.
The counter argument is the fact that Rodri is into the final year of his contract and the offer of a new deal remains unsigned. There is also the possibility that the player agitates for an exit amid a desire to return to his homeland.
But if City can convince Rodri to stay, the transformative role he could play over the next 12 months is worth more than the figure Real Madrid are likely willing to pay for a player in his 30s who could move to the Spanish capital for free in 12 months.
“I don’t think you are looking at less than £80million for him,” said Manchester Evening News’ chief City writer Simon Bajkowski on the Talking City podcast this week.
“And I think City can start the dialogue at £100m. They have to price up how much is it worth to us this season having Rodri and not having Rodri, especially having lost Bernardo Silva this summer and all his experience. Do you want another leader walking out of the door or do you want to get another year out of him even if he might be a bit grumpy at times because he would rather be in Madrid. Tough. He is under contract.
“Leroy Sane wanted to go one summer and Bayern Munich thought they could get him on the cheap and City said no and he didn’t go. Bernardo Silva wanted to go quite a few summers and there were a few offers but City said no that doesn’t meet our valuation.
“Is Rodri the sort of player that is going to go on strike or down tools for a year because he doesn’t get to go to Real Madrid? I don’t know but I think City would like to think not.”
He added: “Rodri has only got a year left on his contract but he has just been named the best player at the World Cup. Players are going for big money but how much does the best player in the World Cup cost? A fair bit even with one year left on his contract.
“City are not going to let him [go] cheaply. We have not heard from the man himself, maybe he wants to stay. You can see why he would want to go to Madrid but at the end of the day they have to agree a deal with City and that looks pretty difficult.”
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