Iker Casillas hopes for a transfer from Rodri to Real Madrid

Iker Casillas, the legendary goalkeeper of Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, has expressed his personal wish to eventually see Manchester City's Rodri play in the white shirt of Los Blancos. Rodri has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu this year, especially with the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner in the final year of his contract with Manchester City.

Speculation surrounding Rodri increased following Real Madrid's recent presidential elections, with opponent Enrique Riquelme publicly promising to sign Rodri and Erling Haaland if he defeated incumbent president Florentino Pérez. This campaign received support from several Real Madrid legends, including Casillas himself.

Pérez won the election by a wide margin and continued his own summer rebuild under returning manager José Mourinho, who has also shown an interest in City players. Despite Pérez's reluctance to approach Rodri specifically, Casillas has now publicly declared his support for the midfielder.


In a recent interview with Stake, 45-year-old Casillas said: "Rodri is one of the best players in the world and I always love seeing the best players at Real Madrid. Currently Rodri has a contract with Manchester City, but hopefully he can wear the Real Madrid shirt in the future."

Casillas went on to discuss Rodri's role in the Spanish national team ahead of the World Cup: "For Spain, I believe that Rodri, given his experience and the type of player he is, has the leadership qualities to play a key role in the team during the World Cup."

There is a certain irony in Casillas' comment, as he was one of the legends who publicly supported Riquelme's campaign. Riquelme had explicitly promised to bring Rodri to the Santiago Bernabéu, but ultimately did not get enough votes.

Pérez has shown no signs of changing his position so far, despite direct communication between the clubs regarding Rodri's possible transfer. While Pérez focuses on other signings, the question of whether the sentimental support of respected figures such as Casillas will influence Real Madrid's actual transfer strategy remains unanswered for now. For now, Casillas' comments appear more of a personal wish than a signal of real intent from the Spanish capital.