Revealed: Why Manchester City Abandoned Frenkie De Jong Pursuit Following Rodri Departure to Barcelona

Ayyoub Bouaddi has come in at Man City as the club's long-term replacement for Rodri. The Ballon d’Or winner, who captained Spain to 2026 FIFA World Cup glory in North America this summer, left Manchester City in August despite efforts from the club to renew his contract.

Real Madrid emerged as the frontrunners to sign the midfielder after an interview with Spanish radio in March, during which Rodri admitted that “you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world” when asked about a potential move to the Santiago Bernabeu.