Barcelona completed the acquisition of Spain's World Cup-winning midfielder Rodri from Manchester City for €75m. Real Madrid had actively pursued the 30-year-old, with manager José Mourinho personally engaging with the player and offering him a significant deal to join the Santiago Bernabéu.

Mourinho attributed Real Madrid's decision not to finalize the transfer to Rodri's apparent hesitation about the move, arguing that a club of Madrid's standing requires players who commit without reservation. The manager downplayed the impact of losing out on the midfielder, contending that his current squad is complete and sufficient for the season ahead, and noted that Real Madrid has not pursued an alternative midfielder despite this representing a gap in their roster.