PSG are ready to hijack Real Madrid’s pursuit of Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner Rodri, leveraging their financial might as the Spanish midfielder nears a Manchester City exit.
Paris Saint-Germain have contacted Premier League giants Manchester City to inquire about the conditions for a potential transfer of Rodri this summer.
According to an update on X by Fabrice Hawkins, PSG have identified the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner, Rodri, as a potential target in this transfer window. The player has only one year left on his current contract with Manchester City and has no intention of renewing it.
Real Madrid are currently the frontrunners in the race to sign the midfielder, but PSG have the financial resources to make a move for him to challenge the Spanish giants. It is a tough ask for Les Parisiens' sporting director Luis Campos to officially sign Rodri, as he has already agreed on personal terms with Los Blancos.
PSG remain on the lookout for any slip-ups in negotiations from the Real Madrid board and will be ready to pounce on any arising opportunity. As of now, the player is pushing internally to make Man City accept the Jose Mourinho-led side's proposal, but there is believed to be a gap between the offer and demands.
PSG did not have any plan to recruit a new high-profile midfielder, but Rodri's availability following a stellar World Cup campaign has ignited interest among the management in Paris. They have a well-stacked midfield department, comprising Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Fabian Ruiz, and it remains to be seen what the idea is behind this recent development.
Rodri joined Manchester City in the summer of 2019 from Atletico Madrid, and head coach Pep Guardiola was quick to integrate him as a regular player in his line-ups. He scored the only goal in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan, which led to the club's first-ever European triumph. He is also the recipient of four Premier League titles, two F.A. Cups, three EFL Cups, one Community Shield, and the UEFA Super Cup from his time with City. Individually, he won the 2024 edition of the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA Golden Ball during this past World Cup.
Meanwhile, PSG continue negotiations for AS Monaco man Maghnes Akliouche as they are set to make a fourth offer after having their third one worth 35 million euros rejected, per an earlier report by Roundtable. Liverpool have entered the race, but the Frenchman's priority has been to join Les Rouge-et-Bleu from the start of the saga. However, it is yet to be seen what happens with this transfer.
