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Manchester City midfielder Rodri is out of contract in 2027 but has plenty of things on his plate at the Etihad as he works to stay fit
There was a time when getting Rodri to sign a new deal to ward off Real Madrid felt like a pressing issue for Manchester City. For now they are more concerned with keeping him on the pitch.
Rodri's current contract is only heading in one direction, ticking down towards 2027. Next summer will be the last real opportunity for the Blues to get major money for him if he isn't to sign a new deal, with Real Madrid linked with an interest that could turn into a £130m offer for the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.
City obviously want to keep their best players and Rodri is no exception. They would also like to think that they have taken care of him during the most difficult season of his life and given his Ballon d'Or win the celebrations it deserved.
“I’ve never seen a celebration like that from a player's own fans and own club," he said recently of the presentation at the Etihad before the Spurs game last season. "I’ve seen many Ballon d’Or winners not being recognised in that way. I almost cried because of how much appreciation there was for me..”
While City hope their treatment of Rodri will be rewarded, the more obvious concern is getting the player over his injury issues. An offer of £130m next summer could be an outrageous lowball, but if the 29-year-old is not able to put a consistent run of games together it may feel like more than he is actually worth.
Pep Guardiola said last week that the player won't hit top form until the summer, expecting him to really hit his stride at the World Cup with Spain.
"Rodri has been and is an outstanding player," he said. "Everybody knows it. But I said to Rodri, and maybe he struggled to understand: it's not about six months or seven months [after the injury]. 'Ah, [after] eight months I'll play and be the Rodri of before.' No.
"Rodri will be good at the World Cup with Spain [next summer]. In the World Cup it will be the best Rodri and next season will be the best Rodri. This season will be how we handle it, step by step.
"It's normal, it was one year on the massage table. The body changes, the rhythm changes. It's a question of time. If he's healthy and works with what he has to do, he will be back."
This was days before Rodri started against Brentford, and then asked to be substituted inside 20 minutes after feeling something in his hamstring. He told the Manchester Evening News after the game that he hopes to be fit for City's game with Everton in two weeks as he downplayed the issue, but the match was like his season in being disrupted.
City's focus has to be on getting Rodri back to being Rodri again before decisions can be made about his future.
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