Florentino Pérez personally approved the transfer, Mourinho sees him as a key player for the new project. Lovro Majer on the verge of joining AEK, Guillamón returns to Spain, and young Huram targeted by English giants.
On July 29, 2026, Real Madrid officially contacted Manchester City for the first time, initiating verbal negotiations for the transfer of Rodri, the Spanish midfielder and 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. According to information published on Telegram by renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano and reported by Goal.com, club president Florentino Pérez personally approved the deal after the door to this transfer had been closed for months.
Romano adds that Real Madrid is ready to allocate over €50 million for the midfielder, whose contract with Manchester City runs until 2027. The Royal club wants to finalize the deal before Rodri returns for preseason training with the English club. José Mourinho, Real Madrid's new coach, supports this transfer and sees Rodri as a key part of his new project at the Bernabéu, according to Goal.com, citing unnamed sources.
"Real Madrid have launched their official pursuit of Manchester City star Rodri, opening first contact with the English club's management to discuss a possible deal," Goal.com reported.
Rodri missed almost all of last season due to a serious knee injury, but returned for the World Cup, where he was one of the key players for the Spanish national team. His performances convinced Real Madrid's management that he is the ideal solution to strengthen their midfield. Although the initial offer is over €50 million, Sportske novosti estimate that Manchester City will demand significantly more for one of the world's best midfielders.
Lovro Majer is on the verge of signing for Greek club AEK in a transfer worth just over €6 million, Sportske novosti reports. Former Hajduk player Hugo Guillamón has mutually terminated his contract with the Whites and returned to Spain, where he will continue his career with second-division club Real Sporting de Gijón.
Young Hajduk member, 17-year-old Ukrainian Adam Huram, has caught the attention of English giants Chelsea and Arsenal, while Egyptian club Al-Ahly officially announced the arrival of Monsef Bakrar from Dinamo.
Fulham has opened talks with Real Madrid for 21-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder César Palacios. As Fabriziano Romano posted on Twitter, Álvaro Arbeloa, recently Real Madrid's coach and now Fulham's new manager, wants him in his squad. Palacios has made only five appearances for the Royal club's first team this season, along with 15 goals for Castilla, and his contract runs until June 2027.
Bayern Munich plans to offer a new contract to Harry Kane in August 2026, Romano reported. The final decision will be up to the English striker and his family. According to Bild, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer "almost confirmed" that the upcoming 2026/27 season will be his last in professional football.
John Stones (32) is a new Inter player, Fabrizio Romano learns, while Bradley Barcola, PSG's winger, wants to move to Liverpool. L'Equipe claims the player has already reached a verbal agreement in principle on personal terms, but the price is an issue; Parisians are asking for around €170 million, and Liverpool is considering an initial offer over €100 million. Abde Ezzalzouli, the Moroccan international from Betis, is targeted by Roma, Aston Villa, and Newcastle, but the asking price of €60 million represents a major obstacle.
In Italy, Roberto Mancini has been presented as the new national team coach, confirmed at a press conference by Italian Football Federation president Giovanni Malagò, as reported by Sportske novosti.
