The 30-year-old defensive midfielder had clearly decided that his time in the blue half of Manchester was at an end, and with any new contract signed likely to be the last big deal of his career, it was imperative that he and his representatives chose wisely.
Spanish teammates must've played a part in Rodri's decision
Latest reports indicate that Rodri has now informed both City and Real Madrid that he wishes to join Barcelona, and one can only conclude that some of his Spanish teammates played a big part in getting him to choose Catalonia rather than the Spanish capital as his next destination.
All of Joan Garcia, Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal were part of the successful La Roja squad in the United States, and it stands to reason that they would've been in Rodri's ear about the potential of him joining them at club level.
So, what does the move, assuming that Barca get it over the line quickly, mean for both clubs, and how will the player fit in at Camp Nou?
For some while now, the Catalan giants haven't really had an outstanding defensive midfielder to sit in front of their back four, and as a result, the defence is often left exposed.
De Jong's injury opens the door
Marc Bernal is tipped to be sensational in the position and has certainly shown promise there, but it must be remembered that he is still only 19 years of age. What better mentor could he have in the meantime...
Frenkie de Jong has often filled in there with relative aplomb, too, but the extent of his current injury means that he could be out for months rather than weeks.
Furthermore, the Dutchman is adept at breaking between the lines and driving the midfield up the pitch, and whilst that's laudable, having a player that is, specifically, a master in that DM position is surely preferable for a team that already have attacking talent in abundance.
Eric Garcia has also been deployed as a DM at times by Hansi Flick, though his partnership with Cubarsi in central defence holds much more promise.
A perfect fit for Barca's style of play
As a result, Eric should only realistically be considered as cover for the midfield position, and that, in essence, is why a move for Rodri, the most natural fit, makes perfect sense for Barca.
Not to mention that his way of playing will fit more seamlessly into a Barcelona side, and how his presence is likely to improve those around him.
Barca's first phase build-up and structure will change significantly. Pedri will be given more freedom further up the pitch, and the confidence it will give Cubarsi, for example, to play short passes into Rodri, can ensure that the turnover from back to front is sharper than it has been in a while.
At Los Blancos, whilst it's accepted that Rodri would've absolutely improved the first team, and sat alongside former Man City colleague Bernardo Silva, he would arguably have produced a telepathic partnership, Real's style of play is markedly different.
Real Madrid would've had to change their midfield dynamic
It can't be lost on anyone that City's blueprint under Pep Guardiola was the very same style Barca had when their former captain was in the dugout, and under Jose Mourinho, Real would be unlikely to utilise that short-passing game.
Perhaps the control that Rodri would give to a Real midfield, something that Luka Modric and Toni Kroos could be relied upon for, would've been the biggest change to their current set-up.
That's because both Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham prefer to maraud forward as much as possible, and are generally considered confirmed starters, whilst Mourinho also has to factor in the relative merits of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.
Silva won't have gone there to play second fiddle either, so unless the Special One was going to change the midfield dynamic significantly, be that by making sales or dropping one or two players, any move for Rodri was always going to be a non-starter.
Even so, given that Real need to claw some domestic power back from their arch-rivals, one might've concluded that a purchase of the City ace was worth making simply because it would stop Barcelona from getting stronger.
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
