Real Madrid Rules Out Rodri and Olise Transfers
Real Madrid have drawn a clear line through two of the biggest names linked with the Bernabéu this summer: Rodri and Michael Olise.
After weeks of speculation, briefings and counter-briefings, club sources have told The Athletic that Rodri is not on the agenda. Not now, not in this window. The stance is blunt, and it cuts against the noise that has built around the Manchester City midfielder since his outstanding World Cup and his award as best player at the 2026 tournament.
That call jars with the mood music elsewhere. Reports in Spain, most recently from Marca, have painted a very different picture, suggesting Rodri is pushing hard for the chance to wear the white shirt and that some voices inside the boardroom want Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez to revisit the idea. The pressure, according to those reports, is real. The answer from the sporting department is just as real: no.
Rodri looked a natural fit on paper. A Spaniard at the peak of his powers, steeped in La Liga from his Atlético days, already battle-tested at the highest level with City. His name has hovered around the Bernabéu for months, the kind of link that usually signals at least some exploratory talks. Yet people inside the club insist he simply does not figure in their plans for this market.
The message on Michael Olise is just as firm. Another door closed.
Despite persistent rumours of talks with Bayern Munich over the France winger, Real Madrid sources maintain there have been no negotiations, no back-channel discussions, no quiet progress. The Athletic reports that the club’s position has not budged: Olise is not a target for this summer.
Madrid have already gone public once to swat away claims they were in talks to sign him, issuing an official statement to kill the story. Behind the scenes, the line is identical. Bringing Olise in now is not viewed as realistic, not with the current squad structure and not with the current priorities.
Current Priorities
Those priorities sit with José Mourinho’s ongoing rebuild. The Portuguese coach wants at least two more pieces: a defender to tighten his back line and an extra midfielder to deepen his options. He sees a squad that can still be sharpened for the demands of a long season.
The hierarchy look at the same squad and see something close to finished. From their perspective, the heavy lifting in this window is largely done. The focus, they believe, must shift to trimming rather than adding — moving players out before any late push for new faces.
So the market moves on without the blockbuster midfield raid on Manchester City, without the high-profile tug-of-war with Bayern over Olise. Real Madrid, for once, are choosing restraint over temptation.
Whether that restraint holds if results wobble, or if Rodri’s desire and availability harden into an opportunity too good to ignore, is another question entirely.
