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Manchester City<\/b><\/a> midfielder Rodri does not believe being a former Atletico Madrid player rules him out of joining Real Madrid and has said “you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world”.<\/b><\/p>\n The 29-year-old Spain midfielder, who has made 293 appearances for City since joining from La Liga club Atletico in 2019, will be out of contract next summer.<\/p>\n The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner says he “needs to sit down and talk” with City but added he would one day “like to come back” to Spain.<\/p>\n Despite making 47 appearances for Atletico, Rodri said he would consider joining city rivals Real.<\/p>\n “There have been many players who’ve gone down that path,” Rodri told Spanish media.<\/p>\n “Not immediately, but over time. For me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.”<\/p>\n Players who have featured for both Real and Atletico include Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Spain forward Alvaro Morata – both of whom played for Chelsea<\/a> between their spells at the Madrid clubs.<\/p>\n Rodri has won 12 major trophies with Pep Guardiola’s side, including four Premier League titles and one Champions League.<\/p>\n He has featured in 18 Premier League games this season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in 2024.<\/p>\n When asked what he thought of Real president Florentino Perez’s reported admiration for him as a footballer, Rodri replied: “I don’t know – they don’t talk to me directly. They’d talk to my agent.”<\/p>\n Rodri has been named in Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad for upcoming friendlies against Serbia and Egypt as he targets a spot for this summer’s World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n Rodri has made 59 appearances for his country and won the European Championships in 2024 and the Nations League the year before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n