Real Madrid have shelved plans to pursue Manchester City midfielder Rodri after signing his former teammate Bernardo Silva, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Spanish giants caused a surprise in the transfer market by beating rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to secure a deal for Silva, who arrived as a free agent.

The move has prompted a rethink of Madrid’s midfield plans and effectively removed Rodri from the club’s list of targets.

Rodri no longer a Madrid priority

Rodri had been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabéu for several months, particularly after businessman Enrique Riquelme referenced the midfielder during his campaign for the Real Madrid presidency.

However, the Spain international recently admitted he was unaware of any such plans and did not know his name was being discussed in relation to the elections.

With Florentino Perez comfortably re-elected as president, Madrid have decided against pursuing the Euro 2024 winner and are instead expected to focus on recruiting younger players capable of leading the club’s next generation.

Bernardo Silva’s arrival changes Madrid’s midfield plans

The arrival of Bernardo Silva is also understood to have reduced the need for a player with Rodri’s profile.

Although the two operate in different midfield roles, Madrid believes Silva’s experience, technical quality, and versatility address several of the squad requirements they identified heading into the summer window.

Rodri’s Manchester City legacy

Rodri remains one of the most influential midfielders in world football and has been central to Manchester City’s success in recent years.

Since joining the club in 2019, he has made more than 260 appearances across all competitions and established himself as one of the game’s premier holding midfielders.

In the Premier League, he has featured 196 times, scoring 23 goals and providing 21 assists. During the 2025-26 campaign, he made 21 league appearances, scored once and completed 1,224 passes at an impressive accuracy rate of 92 percent.

Rodri’s trophy success

His achievements at Manchester City include four consecutive Premier League titles between 2021 and 2024, an FA Cup, two League Cups, and the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2023.

Rodri’s decisive goal in the final against Inter Milan secured City’s first European crown and cemented his place in the club’s history.

Internationally, he has enjoyed similar success. He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2024 and was named Player of the Tournament, having already lifted the UEFA Nations League in 2023.

Bernardo Silva’s impressive career record

Silva arrives in Madrid with an equally impressive record.

Widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted midfielders of his generation, the Portugal international leaves Manchester City after making 304 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 45 goals and registering 50 assists.

Across his domestic league career with Manchester City and Monaco, Silva has accumulated 405 appearances, 69 goals, and 62 assists.

Last season he once again demonstrated his reliability by playing all 38 Premier League matches, contributing two goals and four assists.