It has been a while since Real Madrid closed the Rodri file once and for all after being linked with the Manchester City midfielder for much of the summer.
Around 10 days ago, it emerged that Barcelona had leapfrogged Los Blancos and assumed pole position in the race to sign the 30-year-old.
The Spaniard eventually gave his green light to the Catalans and informed Madrid that he had chosen another destination.
Los Blancos have since set their sights on other potential midfield reinforcements to strengthen the deep-lying playmaker role.
Now, according to MARCA, fresh details have emerged over Real Madrid’s failed pursuit of Rodri.
Florentino and Jose Angel Sanchez made direct contact
Despite seeming interested in signing Rodri, Los Blancos’ pursuit never truly convinced the player from the beginning.
Florentino Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez contacted Rodri personally during the summer, but Madrid still had internal doubts over whether the 30-year-old was exactly the midfielder the squad needed.
There was a belief inside the club that the Spaniard lingered on the ball for way too long and wouldn’t suit the style of game Jose Mourinho’s teams play.
Rodri is set to sign for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Rodri had long admired Real Madrid, and playing at the Santiago Bernabeu had been a dream of his.
However, the eventual approach from the Spanish club did not go the way Rodri was expecting.
Madrid were interested, but they were not completely convinced that committing heavily to the Spain international was the correct sporting decision.
Mourinho never called Rodri
Another interesting piece of information concerns Jose Mourinho.
Unlike several other summer targets, the Real Madrid coach did not personally contact Rodri during the process.
That is important because Mourinho has already used direct conversations to convince players such as Yan Diomande and Carlos Espi of their place within his project.
Rodri did not receive that same treatment.
Real Madrid were interested in signing Rodri. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
For a player deciding between two elite clubs, those small signals can matter. A transfer of this magnitude is not only about salary and reputation, but also about feeling genuinely wanted.
Barcelona, on the other hand, showed that they cared about him through Hansi Flick and a host of his Spanish teammates.
A dream move that did not feel like one
The irony of the whole transfer is that Rodri always dreamed of playing for Real Madrid.
Yet when the call finally came, Madrid’s uncertainty seems to have pushed him further away rather than closer to the club.
Barcelona, by contrast, had a sporting project that was crying out for someone just like the Spaniard to come in and take it to the next level.
It is quite baffling to realise that Madrid were not convinced by Rodri’s sporting fit, because he is the exact profile their midfield currently lacks.
However, the club made a decision that prompted the player to make another decision, and this will go down as a story of what could have been between Rodri and Madrid.