How Jose Mourinho played a surprising role in Rodri not signing for Real Madrid

Rodri didn’t sign for Real Madrid partially because of Jose Mourinho.

The World Cup winner was heavily linked with a move to the Bernabéu before ultimately deciding that he’d rather spend his future at Barcelona.

Concerns were raised that Rodri wouldn’t fit into a Jose Mourinho side

Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Rodri from Manchester City for €76M (£65M), with the midfielder set to put pen to paper on a four-year contract with the La Liga giants. This decision was made after the player’s ‘dream move’ to Real Madrid collapsed, with Jose Mourinho partly to blame.

Once Rodri is officially announced by the club, it will bring an end to what’s been an extremely eventful summer for the player.

In a testament to his brilliance, he helped guide Spain to winning the biggest competition in all of sport, before spending a considerable amount of time wondering exactly where he’d be playing his football in the 2026/27 campaign.

Of course, originally it appeared like Rodri would make the switch to Real Madrid. However, according to Marca, the club was worried that he wasn’t ‘exactly the midfielder the squad needed’.

In addition, there was a major fear that he ‘lingered on the ball for way too long’ and ‘wouldn’t suit the style of game Jose Mourinho’s teams play’.

The footballer was disappointed that the approach from the club didn’t go the way he’d have liked—unlike other targets the Spanish side were exploring, Mourinho didn’t personally contact Rodri.

How much did Rodri make at the FIFA World Cup 2026?

While Rodri wasn’t over the moon with Real Madrid, the recent boost to his bank balance is undoubtedly a welcome distraction.

For scaling the football mountain, the 30-year-old was very well compensated.

This is how much Rodri made at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Featured Image Credit: Getty