Guardiola steered Rodri toward Barcelona over Real Madrid, COPE says

Rodri's future appears to have taken a decisive turn, with Pep Guardiola reportedly pushing him toward Barcelona. According to COPE, the Manchester City coach advised the Spanish midfielder to keep the Catalan club in mind if he had to choose between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The story goes that Rodri approached Guardiola last season to ask which club he should pick. Guardiola made clear the decision had to belong to the player, but he still pointed Rodri toward Barca's footballing model. That opinion mattered. Rodri believes the tactical ideas he learned under Guardiola at Manchester City fit perfectly with how Barcelona play. Further conversations with Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick also helped the midfielder settle on his next step. With Barcelona reported to have bid €45m for Rodri, Manchester City are holding out for a bigger fee.