Given that Rodri expressed his wish to one day return to Spain to play in La Liga over the international break, it was no surprise to see Pep Guardiola asked about Rodri’s future yesterday. The Manchester City manager reiterated that City want to keep Rodri at the club. But as Pep Guardiola explained that City wanted to keep Rodri, another aspect of Pep Guardiola’s answer to the question about Rodri stood out. No matter how important a player is to Manchester City, if they aren’t happy at the club, City won’t prevent their exit. No one is bigger than the club, and that has always been the case at City, barring one notable exception.
If Rodri wants to leave Manchester City the club won’t stand in his way.
Inevitably, given Rodri’s comments over the international break, Pep Guardiola was asked about the potential situation surrounding Rodri’s future. The Manchester City explained that City were determined not to lose Rodri. However, if he wanted to leave the club, they wouldn’t stand in his way. Guardiola explained: “Always my wish is that Rodri could stay as long as possible in this club and because he’s an incredible, top player, but the life of everyone is everyone’s.”
“The organisation of the club is above all of us. If one player is not happy they have to leave. Continue the same always if they are happy, and I think he is happy.”
“If he is not happy just knock on the door of the sporting director, accept an offer according to his incredible quality and after that he doesn’t belong to the club — only himself.”
“I know what the club wants. They informed me what they want from Rodri — it is to stay, stay, stay.”
“I think [Rodri wants to stay]. Always I had the positive [feeling] with that but at the end I don’t know.”
It has been the City way if a player wants to leave they must come to the club with a suitable offer.
The major hope for Manchester City is that Rodri remains at the club for next season and beyond. Rodri’s contract expires at the end of the 2026/27 season, and the dream is that he signs a contract extension with the club.
However, what Manchester City will not do is force a player who wants to depart the club to stay. That has been their modus operandi with Pep Guardiola as manager. City do not want unhappy players at the club as that affects squad morale and influences the environment that Pep Guardiola wants to create. Having said that, the only player City hasn’t sold with a well-known interest in leaving the club over the years is Bernardo Silva. He is the exception to the rule, but such is his professionalism that Bernardo Silva just kept powering on despite his wish to leave.
If Rodri wants to leave Manchester City this summer, they won’t stand in his way. The club is bigger than any one player, as Pep Guardiola explained yesterday ahead of Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. That has always been the City way, and although it is hoped that Rodri commits his future to City if he wants to move on, City will allow him to do so as long as their asking price is met.
