Man City and Rodri are fast approaching transfer tipping point

Rodri could be the transfer story of the summer at Manchester City amid increasing speculation linking Real Madrid with the midfielder.

The 30-year-old is fresh from winning the World Cup with Spain and the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, reinforcing his standing as one of the world's best players. His form over the summer has seen him touted as a potential Ballon d'Or winner, having claimed the crown in 2024.

City would love to keep their star man at the Etihad and have offered Rodri fresh terms. His current deal expires next summer and it remains to be seen what the future holds.

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To get it, it's a simple one-two punch.

New Blues boss Enzo Maresca said Rodri would 'be back with us' when discussing the midfielder in his first press conference last week, with the Italian saying he wasn't worried by the transfer talk.

City have already lost the experienced Bernardo Silva from midfield this summer and will be loath to lose another leader from the squad.

The arrival of Elliot Anderson in a club-record £116million deal from Nottingham Forest has added strength to the middle of the park and the Blues are keen on Lille's £80million teenage star Ayyoub Bouaddi, who would offer another option in midfield.

But at his best Rodri can make the difference between winning silverware and falling short with his return to full fitness last season coinciding with City reeling in Arsenal and beating the Gunners at the Etihad before the Spaniard picked up an injury and the Blues subsequently struggled at Burnley and dropped two costly points at Everton.

With the transfer window open for another month, there will be plenty of transfer talk between now and September 1 with City and Rodri facing a huge summer decision.