Rodri's departure from Manchester City is a major blow to the club and the entire Premier League, as one of the best midfielders of his generation will join Barcelona.
This wasn't something Manchester City fans would have really considered a few months ago, but after the World Cup, Rodri's unwillingness to renew his contract has become very clear.
This summer, both Josko Gwadiol and Jeremy Doku agreed to renew their contracts, and there were hopes that Rodri would follow suit and have his agent handle contract renewal matters while he was with his national team.
But when it was confirmed that he had decided not to renew his contract before last summer, Manchester City fans were immediately divided.
Some believe he owes the club nothing; he dedicated his best years to Manchester City and played a role as significant as anyone else in leading the team to the pinnacle of world football.
Others believe that Rodri should give Manchester City more after being sidelined for 18 months. Those who willingly leave can never be considered legends of the same caliber as Kevin De Bruyne, Fabio Silva, Vincent Kompany, Agu, John Stones, Fernandinho, and others who haven't yet had the chance to leave voluntarily.
A new Manchester City documentary reveals that Kevin De Bruyne broke down in tears after being informed that his contract would not be renewed, discussing the impact of this decision on his family. This may offer an important perspective: clubs can decide that certain players are no longer a good fit for the team, but players must also make the best choice for themselves.
As for Rodri, he has just recovered from a serious knee injury and is returning to the Premier League, a more physical and fast-paced sport. He has always wanted to return to Spain – in fact, he has always admired Real Madrid, though Barcelona has clearly never been ruled out – and this opportunity allows him to play a less physically demanding style of football, somewhat like the pace of the World Cup.
This perfectly understandable decision comes at the cost of potentially losing some fans. Looking at the world of football, true legends are not just the best players, but also those who give their all at their clubs. This is especially true for Manchester City; even looking at just the past 15 years, they already have a long list of club legends.
Rodri reached heights few can match. He controlled the game with his reading of it, possessed a scoring threat, and became the backbone of one of the greatest teams in Premier League history, arguably the backbone of the greatest team ever.
This is enough to place him at the forefront of discussions about the greatest player in Premier League history, and at least in discussions about the best midfielder, since forwards are usually more likely to appear on the "greatest of all time" list.
Did you know that he might actually be able to do it? The English mindset led to Gerrard and Lampard being included in the national team together for a long time, resulting in players like Rodri being sacrificed abroad. This preference of English football may have made this Spaniard seem too refined and too reserved at times, not quite in line with British tastes.
But after a slow start to his Manchester City career, as he adapted to the Premier League, he added the toughness that homegrown fans loved. He was already a force to be reckoned with in midfield, charging forward relentlessly, and later made even more forward runs, increasing his goal tally and carrying the team on his shoulders.
His Ballon d'Or win in 2024 shouldn't have been controversial; only Real Madrid's childish response made it seem like a debate. While his departure will upset some Manchester City fans, it's much easier to accept that he won't be going to the Bernabéu.
What has happened in the years since he won the Ballon d'Or? He missed most of the last two seasons due to a knee injury, but his reputation only grew – the impression that Manchester City's performance declined when he was absent was firmly established – and then he won the World Cup and was named the tournament's best player.
There are a few things to criticize here – Manchester City won 60% of their Premier League games without him over the past two seasons, compared to 50% when he played; you could also say that Messi, at 39, was more impressive that summer – but ultimately, Rodri and his historical status are almost unshakeable.
He will not only be compared to Barcelona and Spanish legend Busquets, but is even considered superior. He was already an exceptionally talented player, but the World Cup, especially this one, propelled him to legendary status in the sport. He will be remembered by fans worldwide as the metronome of Spain's golden generation.
His move to Barcelona might drop him a few places in Manchester City fans' all-time rankings, but it doesn't change anything he did for the club. Besides his repeated disruptions to counter-attacks and high presses, the most important fact is: Rodri scored the winning goal when Manchester City won their first Champions League title, helping the team secure the treble.
"Rodri is firing on all cylinders, your defense is trembling," this song played in the Manchester City dressing room after their victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul. Many fans consider that night one of the best nights of their lives.
This is the mark Rodri left on Manchester City.
