The Italian journalist has claimed that Real Madrid might might need to battle it out with Barcelona for one of their transfer targets this summer.
Real Madrid have made their intentions clear during this summer transfer window with the quickfire signings of Ibrahima Konate, Marc Cucurella, Bernando Silva and Denzel Dumfries.
In fact, Cucurella's signing made sure that Los Blancos had a representative in Spain's World Cup-winning squad.
But the last two seasons had been far from satisfactory for the club, and as it seems, Florentino Perez has decided to go old school in order to get the Whites back to winning ways.
Jose Mourinho's appointment as the new manager speaks volumes about the club's intentions going into the new season, and the Merengues are certainly not yet done this summer as they look to add a few more names before the start of the campaign.
Yan Diomande and Rodri have been amongst the most likely contenders during the past week to make a move to the Spanish capital.
Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed a move for Diomande to Real Madrid and has now provided the latest update on the Spanish midfielder's current situation.
As reported by the Italian journalist in a recent video, Manchester City and Los Blancos have already started club-to-club talks, but at the same time, the Premier League side is also waiting for an offer from the Whites' rivals, Barcelona.
Romano explained the situation, saying, "Manchester City decided to delay the conversations and not to close the deal with Real Madrid because they are waiting for more clubs to eventually jump into the race for Rodri."
He also added, "Manchester City believe that Barcelona could be interested in Rodri."
Undoubtedly, Los Blancos have increased their interest in the 30-year-old following his brilliant display in the World Cup, as he lifted the trophy in New York last month.
As per the reports, Rodri is much more inclined to join the Whites currently, and with only one year left on his contract at City, Los Blancos certainly have an edge when it comes to negotiations.
But as it seems, City are waiting for Madrid's rivals to join in on the transfer battle, which could fetch them a higher transfer fee for their midfielder this summer.
Los Blancos have made some significant signings during this transfer window but they will most certainly not like to engage in any unnecessary bidding war with their rivals.
Both Diomande and Rodri have emerged as key targets for the Whites recently, and the Spanish club is certainly in a better position to bring in both World Cup stars, but a few recent developments have seemingly brought these probable transfers to a standstill, as the club looks to further strengthen its squad for the new season.
