Mourinho on Rodri's move to Barcelona: Real Madrid cannot tolerate the indecisive

Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho of Real Madrid affirmed that his club had moved past the failed attempt to sign Spanish midfielder Rodri, who opted to transfer from Manchester City to rivals Barcelona, stressing that wearing the white jersey of the royal club requires a clear decision from the player.

According to the French newspaper L’Equipe, Rodri had been a primary target for Real Madrid since the World Cup, but Barcelona later entered the negotiations and successfully secured the deal, dealing a painful blow to the Madrid-based club, especially since the Spanish player was named the best player of the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking on the Spanish program El Chiringuito, Mourinho said: “I spoke with Rodri on several occasions, and Real Madrid made him a very good offer. But he was hesitant and had doubts, and those doubts made me doubt the possibility of completing the deal as well.”

The Portuguese manager added: “Rodri is an exceptional player and was very respectful with us, but Real Madrid is a club of enormous stature and cannot afford to have players who hesitate to join it.”

Despite the loss of the Rodri deal, Mourinho appeared confident in his current squad, insisting that the transfer market did not require further reinforcements.

Real Madrid spent more than 220 million euros during the current transfer window to strengthen its ranks, even as the defensive midfield position remains one that may still need support, alongside French international Aurelien Tchouameni.

Mourinho believes that losing the Rodri deal does not mean losing the battle against Barcelona, emphasizing that the true verdict comes on the pitch, not in the transfer market.