This past week, Real Madrid lost the opportunity to acquire Manchester City star Rodri, with fierce rivals Barcelona now leading the chase for the midfielder. According to reports, Barcelona has gained an edge in negotiations after establishing contact with both Rodri’s camp and Manchester City.

Former Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes has expressed that the narrative surrounding Rodri’s choice to join Barcelona has been misrepresented. He argues that Real Madrid was never fully committed to signing the midfielder.

During a discussion on El Partidazo de COPE (h/t SPORT), Morientes stated that the club’s stance has been inaccurately depicted following Rodri’s agreement to move to Barcelona.

Morientes Questions the Narrative

Morientes was critical of the ongoing transfer saga, rejecting the notion that Real Madrid genuinely faced a loss to Barcelona in this instance. He remarked, “It seems like a very bad joke to me.”

“Those of us who know how this works are aware that Real Madrid never really wanted Rodri at any point,” he added.

He took issue with assertions that Rodri had actively declined a move to Los Blancos, commenting, “They’re treating us like fools when they say Rodri rejected Real Madrid.”

Florentino Would Have Signed Him If Madrid Wanted Him

Morientes believes the club is deflecting responsibility onto the player while avoiding a candid admission that they did not pursue the deal aggressively. “Now they pass the hot potato to the player by saying he wanted to sign for Barcelona,” he said.

He further claimed, “If Florentino Perez had wanted him, this signing would not have slipped away.” Perez is known for successfully acquiring key players for the club, but Rodri marks a notable exception in this regard.

Madrid Moves On, Barcelona Close In

Whether the decision to pass on Rodri came from Madrid specifically or if the player opted to turn down the club remains uncertain. What is clear is that Rodri would have complemented Jose Mourinho’s system at Real Madrid, providing necessary quality in the midfield.

Since the retirement of Toni Kroos, Los Blancos have struggled to find a midfield playmaker, and Rodri could have filled that void effectively. Meanwhile, Barcelona is intensifying efforts to secure his signature from Manchester City, while Real Madrid appears to have moved on from this pursuit.

The club may look to bolster its squad in the coming weeks, but it seems increasingly unlikely that Rodri will be among the new signings.

The last week has seen Real Madrid lose out on the opportunity to sign Manchester City star Rodri, with arch-rivals Barcelona leapfrogging them in the race.

Now, Fernando Morientes believes the story surrounding Rodri’s decision to join Barcelona has been framed the wrong way, insisting Real Madrid were never fully committed to signing the midfielder in the first place.

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The former Real Madrid striker shared his views on El Partidazo de COPE (h/t SPORT), where he argued that the club’s stance has been misrepresented following Rodri’s agreement to join Barcelona.

Morientes questions the narrative

Rodri is expected to join Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Morientes did not hold back when discussing the transfer saga, dismissing the idea that Real Madrid genuinely lost out to their Clasico rivals.

“It seems like a very bad joke to me,” he said.

“Those of us who know how this works are aware that Real Madrid never really wanted Rodri at any point,” he revealed.

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He also took issue with claims that Rodri had actively turned down Los Blancos.

“They’re treating us like fools when they say Rodri rejected Real Madrid,” he exclaimed.

Florentino would have signed him if Madrid wanted him

Morientes believes the club are now shifting responsibility onto the player instead of admitting they chose not to pursue the deal aggressively.

“Now they pass the hot potato to the player by saying he wanted to sign for Barcelona,” he said.

He then made the strongest claim of all.

“If Florentino Perez had wanted him, this signing would not have slipped away,” he said.

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Perez has a reputation for signing the players he wants at any cost for Real Madrid, but Rodri was a rare miss.

Morientes is not too happy with Rodri. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

Whether the club chose to move on from him, chose not to pursue him in the first place or whether the player decided to turn a move down is something only the two parties know.

Madrid move on, Barcelona close in

Rodri would have been an excellent fit for Jose Mourinho’s system at Real Madrid, bringing important quality to the midfield.

Los Blancos have failed to find a midfield playmaker since Toni Kroos retired from football, and Rodri would have been the answer to that.

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Meanwhile, Barcelona are continuing to push to sign him from Manchester City, but Madrid have moved on.

The club may look to make more signings between now and the end of the summer, but it looks certain now that one of them will not be Rodri.