Real Madrid has already made four signings ahead of the upcoming season: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Franco Mastantuono, Dean Huijsen, and Álvaro Carreras. However, the club is still missing the marquee signing of the summer a top-class midfielder who can help the team move on from the departure of Toni Kroos, whose retirement left a major gap in the squad.

Los Blancos have a clear objective: to snatch the current Ballon d’Or winner from Pep Guardiola.

After assessing the market, Spanish outlet AS reported on Monday that one name continues to be high on Madrid radar despite the complexity of the deal: Rodrigo Hernández, 29 years old.

The Manchester City midfielder is under contract until June 2027, though the Premier League champions want to extend it until 2030. Still, if they intend to cash in on him, this summer would be the right time to do so.

A Difficult Mission, But Not Impossible

The operation won’t be easy. Pep Guardiola sees Rodri as a key figure in his team. In fact, the Catalan coach repeatedly lamented the damage caused by Rodri’s serious knee injury at the start of last season, which kept him sidelined for most of the campaign.

Despite City’s reluctance to part ways with the Spanish star, Real Madrid remains hopeful. The club knows it would be an expensive move, but it is counting on raising between $90 and $100 million through the possible sale of Rodrygo Goes, which would help fund the transfer.

There’s no doubt that Real Madrid has major ambitions for the upcoming season and is determined to strengthen the squad with the world’s best players. The big question now is:

Can Xabi Alonso bring Rodrigo Hernández to the Santiago Bernabéu?