Real Madrid will be seething after seeing bitter rivals Barcelona hijack their bid to sign Rodri from Manchester City.
Madrid had made their interest in the City midfielder known, and pushed hard to bring Spain's World Cup-winning captain to the Bernabeu.
According to one Spanish radio station, Madrid made Rodri an offer he couldn't refuse. He ultimately did, instead choosing to join Spanish champions Barcelona on a four-year contract in a reported deal worth £65 million to Man City.
With Rodri's rejection, Real Madrid may now turn their attention to other midfield options to bolster Jose Mourinho's squad.
Enzo Fernandez
Madrid face stiff competition for Fernandez's signature, as the Argentina midfielder is a wanted man.
City are close to securing Ayyoub Bouaddi's transfer from Lille for a reported fee of £85 million, but with Tijjani Rijnders also expected to depart, they are keen to add at least one more midfielder to their squad.
Chelsea suffered a disappointing 2024/25 season and missed out on European qualification. Madrid said at the start of July that they had "no intention" of signing Fernandez, but that was before missing out on Rodri.
Fernandez was handed an internal two-game suspension by Chelsea in April after the former Benfica player said he did not know if he would remain at Chelsea this season and that he would "love" to live in Madrid.
Chelsea value their player at around £120 million, but new coach Xabi Alonso is a known admirer of the 25-year-old and sees him as a key part of his rebuilding job at Stamford Bridge.
Martin Zubimendi
The 27-year-old Spain midfielder was one of Arsenal’s marquee signings last summer when the Gunners pushed through a €65 million deal to bring him in from La Liga side Real Sociedad.
Zubimendi played a key role in Arsenal's 2025/26 campaign, but lost his place in the side during the run-in as the club clinched a first Premier League title in more than 20 years and reached the Uefa Champions League final.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has strengthened his midfield over the summer, signing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, pushing Zubimendi even further down the pecking order.
Zubimendi started on the bench as Arsenal beat Man City to clinch the Community Shield on Sunday, coming on as a second-half substitute.
He was also part of Spain's squad as they clinched a second World Cup title in North America this summer, coming on as a substitute in the final against Argentina.
Mourinho wants to add greater experience and authority to the holding midfield position, and Zubimendi, 27, would certainly fit the bill.
Felix Nmecha
Nmecha's performances over the past 12 months have alerted several clubs, including Manchester United.
Real Madrid have also been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old Germany international, according to Bild and Sky Sports.
Nmecha was part of Germany's World Cup squad this summer, scoring and winning a penalty in their 7-1 win over Curacao before they suffered a humiliating exit on penalties to Paraguay in the Round of 32.
Nmecha has a contract at Dortmund until 2030 that is said to contain a €70 million release clause.
Given the success of Jude Bellingham, another former Dortmund midfielder who made the move to Madrid in 2023, the Spanish giants could be willing to take another punt.
Chema Andres
Another Bundesliga player attracting interest is Chema Andres.
The Spanish Under-21 international spent his formative years at Real Madrid, progressing through the team's various categories from Infantil to Real Madrid Castilla.
Andres, 21, made two appearances for the senior team in the 2024/25 season before joining Stuttgart last summer for €3 million.
His qualities are already well known to the club, and Andres would represent a significantly cheaper option than those mentioned above, with the German side said to value the talented midfielder at €20 million.
