Rodri chose Barcelona after Real Madrid believed transfer was nearly complete

Rodri’s decision to join Barcelona instead of Real Madrid on 5 August reportedly shocked the Spanish capital, with Florentino Perez convinced the midfielder was close to agreeing a four-year contract with the club.

The move was one of the biggest surprises of Barcelona’s summer transfer window. Real Madrid had spent months considering a deal for the Spain international after establishing that he wanted to leave Manchester City, but their confidence in completing the transfer was ultimately misplaced, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.

The decisive developments took place over several hours of negotiations and contact between the player’s representatives and both clubs. Rodri eventually rejected Real Madrid’s project under Jose Mourinho, despite the club’s belief that an agreement was within reach.

Perez was unaware that Rodri was also considering Barcelona. In a move conducted away from the spotlight, Barcelona sporting director Deco met Pablo Barquero, the player’s representative, and indicated that the club was prepared to meet Rodri’s contractual demands.

The process had begun between 1 August and 5 August, when members of Rodri’s entourage held talks with Real Madrid general manager Jose Angel Sanchez. The meeting followed months of hesitation from the club, which had only recently committed to pursuing the midfielder after confirming his desire to leave Manchester City.

Barcelona enters the race

The negotiations with Real Madrid were complicated by concerns within Rodri’s camp about the way the player and Perez had treated one another following his Ballon d’Or victory, Sport reported.

Although those differences were overcome sufficiently for discussions to continue, the transfer still depended on an agreement with Manchester City and Rodri giving his final approval. Neither requirement had been completed when Barcelona unexpectedly entered the negotiations after learning that the midfielder was available.

Barcelona’s interest was strengthened by the club’s confirmation that Frenkie de Jong’s injury was more serious than initially expected. Deco viewed Rodri’s signing as a strategic move, but decided not to make a formal offer until the player had made his preference clear.

The club’s position was firm: Barcelona would only proceed if Rodri explicitly chose its project and rejected Real Madrid’s proposal. The contractual details would then be negotiated.

Rodri spent two days weighing his options after meeting Barcelona officials. Real Madrid had made it possible for him to join, but he was not fully convinced by Mourinho’s plans and had also been influenced by Perez’s treatment of him in the preceding months.

Barcelona offered the prospect of living closer to his family in Madrid, while Rodri also favoured the club’s style of play. He spoke to several Spain team-mates based at Barcelona, gaining a clearer understanding of the dressing room and how well he might fit into the squad.

The report said Rodri concluded that a move to Camp Nou was the best option for his career, both technically and because he believed the atmosphere would suit him better than the situation at Real Madrid.

On 5 August, his agent gave Deco approval before contacting Real Madrid to thank the club and formally reject its offer. The decision left no room for negotiations to be reopened.

The news reached Perez while he was on holiday in the Cadiz area, turning what had been expected to be a quiet break into a difficult one. Real Madrid were disappointed not only to lose Rodri, but to see the deal go to Barcelona after planning to announce it within days of completing the signing of Diomande.