Real Madrid Eye Alternative Midfield Targets After Barcelona Hijacks Rodri Deal

Real Madrid are reportedly seething after bitter rivals Barcelona successfully hijacked their bid to sign Rodri from Manchester City. Despite making a lucrative offer to bring Spain's World Cup-winning captain to the Bernabeu, Rodri ultimately chose to join the Spanish champions on a four-year contract worth a reported £65 million.

Following this rejection, Real Madrid are now exploring other midfield options to bolster Jose Mourinho's squad.

Enzo Fernandez

Real Madrid face stiff competition for Enzo Fernandez, as the Argentina midfielder is heavily sought after. While Madrid previously stated in July that they had no intention of signing Fernandez, missing out on Rodri has changed the landscape. Fernandez previously received a two-way internal suspension from Chelsea in April after expressing a desire to live in Madrid. Although Chelsea value him at £120 million, new coach Xabi Alonso sees the 25-year-old as central to his Stamford Bridge rebuilding project.

Martin Zubimendi

The 27-year-old Spain midfielder joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad last summer for €65 million. While he played a key role in their 2025/26 campaign, he lost his place during the run-in as Arsenal clinched their first Premier League title in over 20 years and reached the Uefa Champions League final. With Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta strengthening the midfield by signing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, Zubimendi has fallen further down the pecking order and would bring valuable experience to Mourinho's holding midfield options.

Felix Nmecha

Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha has attracted interest from several top European clubs, including Manchester United and Real Madrid, according to Bild and Sky Sports. The 25-year-old Germany international has a contract until 2030 featuring a €70 million release clause. Given the success of Jude Bellingham's move to Madrid in 2023, the Spanish giants may consider another venture into Dortmund's talent pool.

Chema Andres

Another Bundesliga option is Chema Andres of Stuttgart. The 21-year-old Spanish Under-21 international spent his formative years in Real Madrid's youth system before joining Stuttgart last summer for €3 million. Having already made two senior appearances for Madrid in the 2024/25 season, Andres would represent a much cheaper alternative, valued by the German side at around €20 million.