Manchester City have drawn a clear line in the sand. If Real Madrid ever push to sign Rodri, City would demand Jude Bellingham in any conversation. It is a bold stance that underlines Pep Guardiola’s admiration for the England international and reflects how central Rodri is to the Premier League champions’ structure.
Madrid, meanwhile, are mapping a midfield refresh. They have looked at Premier League names and could move in January or wait until the summer. But prising Rodri from City was always going to be complex. Making Bellingham the makeweight only raises the bar further.
The message from the Etihad is simple: Rodri is not on the market. If anything changes, it would take the one player Guardiola views as a perfect, long-term fit. That is the context in which this story sits.
Manchester City demand Jude Bellingham
City’s position is rooted in value and fit. Bellingham is seen as a transformational piece who could anchor the next cycle. Guardiola’s view is that the 22-year-old can thrive in City’s positional play and add immediate end-product. Setting Bellingham as the condition for any Rodri talks signals how high the club value their Spanish midfielder and how limited their list of acceptable trade-offs would be.
It also reflects internal caution after fitness issues around Rodri last year. City intend to protect their midfield core, explore a new deal for their treble-winning pivot, and only entertain ideas that keep their competitive level intact. In other words: if Madrid want the best, City want the best back.
Why this story is complicated on both sides
Madrid admire Rodri, but Bellingham is central to their project and not considered for sale. Valuations would be difficult to align and the politics around swapping two headline players are delicate. Timing matters, too. Madrid are assessing January options while building towards a bigger summer, and City have little incentive to weaken the spine mid-season.
There is also the sheer list of names in Madrid’s wider thinking for midfield. That breadth of targets reduces the need to enter an exchange that would cost them their most prized asset.
Rodri to Real Madrid: what would it take?
Short answer: something extraordinary. City would have to feel fully protected, both technically and financially. That is why Bellingham sits at the centre of any hypothetical dialogue. Cash alone is unlikely to move the needle. A package that guarantees replacement quality immediately would be the minimum ask.
From Madrid’s angle, surrendering Bellingham to solve a different position creates a new hole to fill. That calculus makes a straight pathway to Rodri highly unlikely without a dramatic shift in stance.
What happens next in the January and summer windows
Expect positioning rather than bids. Madrid will keep scanning midfield options. City will keep Rodri close and continue conversations around his contract. If anything changes, it will be on City’s terms and timeline. For now, the takeaway is clear: Rodri remains a City cornerstone, and Bellingham is the only name that even gets them to the table
