José Mourinho has confirmed that Real Madrid made Rodri an offer and that he personally spoke to the Spain captain about joining the club, but the midfielder’s hesitation ultimately made Mourinho question the move. On the same day Rodri was presented at Barcelona after completing a €75m (£65.4m) transfer from Manchester City, Mourinho insisted he would not miss the player at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Mourinho Reveals Rodri’s Hesitation
“I spoke to him a couple of times and Real Madrid made him a very good offer,” Mourinho said in an interview with El Chiringuito. “Without negotiating with City, the club were in contact with Rodri and made him an important offer. Rodrigo had doubts, he doubted. And his doubts created doubts in me. He is an extraordinary player and he behaved in the right way with us. I have nothing bad to say. But Real Madrid are so big that you can’t have players who have to think twice. You get in touch with a player and the player says: ‘When do I go?’ That’s how it works.”
Rodri Chooses Barcelona Over Real Madrid and PSG
Rodri had three offers to leave Manchester City after the World Cup, from Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Having ruled out PSG because he wanted to return to Spain, the 30-year-old eventually chose Barcelona, where he will join eight of his teammates from the World Cup squad. The midfielder said the move was “always my first choice.” When it was put to Mourinho that the move could be seen as a victory for Barcelona over their great rivals, he replied: “Victories are on the pitch, trophies.”
Mourinho Confident in Current Squad Despite Missing Midfielder
Real Madrid have not signed an alternative midfielder, despite their pursuit of Rodri and that being a clear hole in a team that has failed to win a major trophy in the past two seasons. Mourinho feels sure, however, that he does not need to bring in any further players. “I am not saying that there will not be any more signings because the market is still open, but if you ask me directly whether the squad is complete, for me yes it is,” said the 63-year-old at the start of his second stint managing the club. “It’s complete, closed. I like [my squad] a lot. I don’t miss Rodrigo. We have solutions, we have quality, we have players who maybe you look at and you judge them on what they have done but I like to think that I have the ability to improve players. A player that is one thing today can be a different player tomorrow.”
