Pep Guardiola has reportedly ‘recommended’ Barcelona to top Real Madrid target Rodri as the Manchester City boss has told club chiefs to ‘very closely follow’ a Julian Alvarez replacement.
Rodri – who was named the best player at Euro 2024 and has been absurdly consistent for City under Guardiola – has been heavily linked with Real Madrid, with president Florentino Perez supposedly ‘obsessed’ with signing the midfielder.
Man City signed Rodri from Atletico Madrid for around £60million in July 2019 and he’s won four Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, and two Carabao Cups on the way to establishing himself as the world’s best No.6.
A report in Spain on Wednesday claimed that Madrid’s ‘big fish’ for the 2025 summer transfer window is Rodri, with Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies also a target.
Indeed, ‘Rodri 2025’ is splashed across the front page of newspapers in Spain.
The former Atletico youngster is the ‘great dream’ of Perez, along with manager Carlo Ancelotti, although the Italian boss may not be in charge come next season.
There is apparently only one club Rodri would consider leaving Man City for and that is Real Madrid, with the midfielder ‘very tempted’ by the switch
Rodri ‘only has two paths’ for the future and that is sign for Madrid or extend his City contract, the report adds.
But a report later on Wednesday has now claimed – unsurprisingly – that Guardiola has told Rodri that if he is to go to Spain then he should choose Barcelona over Madrid.
Guardiola would obviously prefer the key cog in his team to remain at the Etihad but ‘in case he wants to leave the Premier League, he has recommended going to Barça, a team where he would fit much better thanks to his qualities’
The same outlet claims Guardiola has his eyes on Athletic Bilbao star to replace Alvarez, who moved to Atletico Madrid for £82m in the summer having grown frustrated by his lack of game time with the English champions.
It’s not Nico Williams though, who was the subject of huge interest from Barcelona this summer, along with Chelsea and Arsenal, but Oihan Sancet, who many thought was unlucky not to be included in Luis de la Fuente’s Euro 2024 squad after his performances in the last couple of seasons.
The 24-year-old, who generally operates in an attacking midfield role but can also play on the wing, has got 25 goals and 14 assists in 138 La Liga appearances for the Basque club.
Sancet has already scored twice this season and his displays have caught the attention of City and Guardiola in particular.
The City boss has told directors Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano to follow the Spaniard ‘very closely’ this term as they consider a replacement for Alvarez, and possibly also for Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, who could leave the club next summer.
Sancet is currently one of the best paid players at the club and is contracted until 2032, and like Williams, is seen as ‘totally essential’ by manager Ernesto Valverde
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