Rodri
Madrid, Spain – October 21, 2025: Champions League match between Villarreal FC and Manchester City played in Villarreal. Rodrigo Hernandez wins the Ballon d’Or. Tribute to Rodrigo at La Ceramica.
Manchester City’s Rodri is not ruling out a move away from the Premier League side after this season.
The Spain international suffered a serious injury in September 2024, a month before winning the Ballon d’Or. This forced him to spend the majority of last season away from the pitch.
Although the Manchester City star regained full fitness, he struggled with injuries in the first half of this season.
The midfielder’s situation has started to improve in this calendar year. To put it in context, he’s missed two matches in 2026, one against Galatasaray due to suspension.
Pep Guardiola left him as an unused substitute in the FA Cup win over Newcastle United earlier this month.
Rodri has played 1,247 minutes from 18 league matches so far and his statistics remain impressive.
Tackles per game: 1.9
Interceptions: 0.7
Ball recovery: 5.1
Clearances: 1.9
Errors leading to goal: 0
Ground dules won: 63%
Aerial duels won: 78%
Rodri has managed to recover his form, which has led to the Real Madrid links resurfacing.
Manchester City future needs sorting
Sport Witness recently covered claims from Spain of the midfielder being the priority target for the La Liga giants. At the same time, other claims have calmed things down regarding a Real Madrid move. The stance in Spain is mixed to say the least.
At the weekend, he played the full 90 minutes in the Citizens’ 1-1 draw against West Ham United.
After the match, the Spaniard spoke to Cadena Ser‘s Carrusel Deportivo. Rodri said he’s “frustrated” with Manchester City dropping points against Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.
AS have relayed more comments from the same interview, and on the West Ham match, he said: “Yes, a little frustrated, but that’s pretty much the theme this season. We’re struggling in that final third.
“The ‘last third,’ as they say here in England. That quality to score the final goal. Perhaps it’s costing us a lot, but in football, the most important thing is putting the ball in the net.”
Towards the end, the former Atlético Madrid man was asked whether he’ll leave the Etihad in the summer.
Responding to that, Rodri explained: “No, no. I’m not going to answer that. It’s a time to think about what we have now, with my team, about my season, which is quite a lot, and then we’ll see.”
Admission concerning Guardiola’s side
Rodri
Madrid, Spain – October 21, 2025: Champions League match between Villarreal FC and Manchester City played in Villarreal. Rodrigo Hernandez wins the Ballon d’Or. Tribute to Rodrigo at La Ceramica.
The Spaniard has indicated a decision on his future won’t be taken until the end of this season. His immediate focus will be on the Champions League, the Premier League and the EFL Cup.
Manchester City trail 3-0 to Real Madrid and the return leg will be at the Etihad on Tuesday. They have a mammoth task to overcome the first leg deficit and face Arsenal in the EFL Cup final on March 22nd.
Rodri’s contract expires in 2027 and Transfermarkt value him at €65m. Without a renewal, the Premier League side would risk losing him, either in the summer or for free next year.