Real Madrid Will Not Look for an Alternative to Rodri

Yesterday it was widely reported by various sources and for various reasons that Real Madrid will no longer be pursuing their interest in signing Manchester City midfielder, Rodri.

This has lead to frustration within the fanbase. The 2024 Ballon D’or winner was seen as the perfect fit for the midfield, giving Los Blancos the controller profile they have badly lacked in the post Toni Kroos and Luka Modric era.

However, despite this, it appears as if the club will not be pursuing an alternative option to Rodri. Indeed not, as it is being reported by Abraham P. Romero (via MadridXtra) that the club will not sign a midfielder this summer after the deal for the Spain international fell through. 

Well, not ideal at all. The midfield is a clear weak point of the team. The defence is beginning to look a lot better. The front line looks pretty good now with Yan Diomande, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, with Jude Bellingham just behind them to make a fantastic quartet. 

But, who is going to get them the ball? As good as Federico Valverde is, he is a player known more for his physicality than technical ability. Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga's development has stalled in the last couple of years. Not sure Bernardo Silva is that player anymore either. 

There is Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, whom we all know is an absolutely world class creative player. But - whilst he will invert into more central areas - he is not a midfielder, and the angles will not be the same. His world class crossing ability is wasted on Mbappe and Vinicius. The only one who can thrive from it is his compatriot Bellingham. 

So, it will be interesting to see how it works. But make no bones about it, this is an absolutely huge loss. And salt will only be rubbed into the wounds if Rodri ends up joining Barcelona instead. There just isn't enough creativity and control in the midfield, the 30-year old would have been the perfect solution to that. 

Ah well, let's see, but this feels very, very risky indeed from the club. You wonder how Jose Mourinho feels about it all. In general, he has been backed since joining the club, but you'd be surprised if he didn't want to sign a midfielder himself, so let's wait and see if there are any reports on his feelings on that.