‘A bad joke’: Morientes accuses Real Madrid of letting Rodri move to Barcelona

Fernando Morientes has criticised Real Madrid’s handling of Rodri’s transfer after the Manchester City player chose to join Barcelona instead of the Spanish capital club.

Rodri had appeared close to a move to Real Madrid in recent months, but Barcelona entered the negotiations strongly and succeeded in changing the direction of the deal. The player ultimately decided to continue his career with the Catalan club.

The outcome has caused considerable anger among people close to Real Madrid, who believe the club allowed a transfer that should have been secured to slip away before Barcelona completed the signing at the final stage.

Morientes, a former Real Madrid striker, was among the most outspoken critics of the club’s approach. Speaking on the El Partidazo programme on Cadena COPE, he questioned the way Florentino Perez’s administration dealt with the negotiations.

“It’s a heavy joke. Real Madrid’s management is making fun of us a little. It is clear that Real Madrid did not want Rodri,” Morientes said, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The former Spain international argued that Real Madrid would not normally handle a major transfer in such a way. He said the club’s failure to act decisively suggested Rodri had not been treated as a priority.

“Real Madrid does not delay in situations like this. Maybe it delays over the signing of a 14-year-old right-back, but not with players of this kind,” Morientes added.

His criticism continued after suggestions that Rodri had preferred Barcelona because of its style of play. Morientes rejected that explanation and said Real Madrid had not made every possible effort to complete the transfer.

“Real Madrid did not put everything it had on the table. And now they are trying to blame Rodri, saying he wanted to move to Barcelona because of the style of play. For anyone who knows football, that is a bad joke,” he said.

Morientes also pointed to the club’s history of completing high-profile moves when it was determined to sign a player. He referenced several prominent arrivals at Real Madrid as evidence that the club had previously been able to overcome competition for elite talent.

“When Real Madrid wanted these kinds of signings, it succeeded in completing them. Figo came, Zidane came, Owen came, Ronaldo came… So nobody should come and tell me now that Rodri wanted to play somewhere else,” Morientes said.

The sudden change in the transfer’s direction has therefore intensified scrutiny of Perez and Real Madrid’s recruitment strategy. Those unhappy with the outcome believe the club had a clear opportunity to sign Rodri but failed to act with enough urgency, leaving its traditional rival to take advantage.

Morientes’ comments have added to the growing debate around why Real Madrid did not secure the player despite being considered close to reaching an agreement. His central argument is that the responsibility lies with the club’s management rather than with Rodri’s personal preference.