Real Madrid have made their opening move for Rodri, submitting a bid in the region of €50-60 million for the Manchester City and Spain midfielder, ONE reports, citing the Italian transfer journalist Nicolò Schira.

The approach comes only weeks after Rodri capped one of the finest summers of his career, captaining Spain to the 2026 World Cup title and picking up the Golden Ball as the tournament's outstanding player.

According to ONE, Rodri has already agreed personal terms with Real Madrid and would prefer a return to his home country, having spent his career in England since leaving Atlético Madrid for City in 2019.

The midfielder is heading into the final two years of his City contract, which runs to 2027, and has so far resisted the club's efforts to tie him to a new deal — a stalemate Madrid believe gives them an opening.

That opening is not straightforward. City are said to value Rodri at closer to €80 million, leaving a substantial gap with Madrid's opening bid and setting up a negotiation that could stretch deep into the summer.

Complicating matters further is Rodri's fitness. He is set to undergo back surgery with no firm return date yet given, a blow that could see him miss the start of the new season regardless of where he ends up playing it.

City sources have pushed back on the scale of the reports, with the club said to deny having received any formal offer from Madrid at this stage — a reminder that talks, if they are happening, remain at an early stage.

ONE also notes Paris Saint-Germain have been mentioned as a possible alternative suitor, viewing Rodri's contract situation as a rare opportunity to land a player of his calibre without a huge structural outlay.

For Real Madrid, adding a player of Rodri's profile — a World Cup-winning defensive midfielder in career-best form — would address a long-standing need in the middle of the park as Xabi Alonso's side define what a post-Bellingham-era midfield looks like.

Nothing is close to done. But with Rodri's preference reportedly clear and his contract clock ticking, this is a saga Madrid appear determined to push through before City's leverage hardens further.