Manchester City confirm stance on Real Madrid’s Rodrygo amid transfer talk

The stance at Manchester City concerning Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has emerged amid growing speculation over the Brazilian’s future.

It is the latest twist in an increasingly busy summer transfer window for Manchester City that intensified and perhaps peaked in the days leading up to the start of the now-ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.

Following the message from chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak that City needed to be ‘aggressive’ in this summer’s market, director of football Hugo Viana welcomed four new names into the first-team squad – three of whom have already made their respective debuts.

The belief is that the next focus will target sales and other outgoings from Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad, after the City head coach firmly indicated the need for his squad numbers to be trimmed down in time for the start of the European season.

But alongside that official word, there continues to be indications that further reinforcements will be eyed, particularly in the right-back position with Newcastle’s Tino Livramento the primary target for the role.

And fresh suggestions from Jose Claros on Wednesday claimed that Manchester City had reactivated contacts for Rodrygo with an intention to make an approach to Real Madrid for the winger after the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.

Those claims suggested that an approach would be to explore the possibility of reaching an agreement and attempt to sign the Brazil international after Pep Guardiola gave his ‘OK’ to the idea and is interested in having him in the City squad for next season.

However, according to MailSport’s Jack Gaughan in relaying the current official word coming out of Manchester City, there is no interest from the Etihad Stadium in the Real Madrid winger this summer.

Other situations to be ironed out by Manchester City this summer include the futures of Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish, and Kalvin Phillips – all of whom are set to leave the club in either permanent or temporary exits for the 2025/26 season.

On the subject of Rodrygo, there remains a possibility that Manchester City and Real Madrid could meet in the next round of this summer’s Club World Cup, with Pep Guardiola’s side eyeing a first-placed finish in Group G this week.

Should City manage a victory over Italian giants Juventus on Thursday night, then they will play second-place in Real Madrid’s group, which will involve either the Spanish giants, Austria’s RB Salzburg, or Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal.