Man City: Pep Guardiola hopes Rodri will stay but unhappy players can leave

Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024 but missed almost all of last season with a knee injury and City failed to win a major trophy for the first time in eight years.

He missed most of this season with a hamstring problem but played 28 games in all competitions, helping the team win the Carabao Cup against Arsenal at Wembley.

Rodri won four Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and three League Cups during his time at City.

Rodri previously told Spanish media: “There have been many players who have gone down this path [playing for Atletico and Real].

“Not immediately, but over time. For me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.”

Guardiola said Rodri had shown over time “how committed, how close” he was to City, and that his “contribution was huge”.

The manager confirmed he would “absolutely” not stand in the way of the midfielder if he wanted to leave, adding: “The organization of the club is above all of us; if a player is not happy he has to leave and [we] If they’re happy, keep going the same way – and I think he’s happy too.

“If he is not happy, knock on the sporting director’s door, accept an offer based on his incredible quality and from now on he belongs only to him, not to the club.

“I know what the club wants. They told me what they wanted from Rodri: to stay, to stay, to stay. I always took it positively. [feeling] with this but in the end I don’t know.”