---
title: "Rodri revealed details of his conversation with Mourinho: 'He expressed his desire for me to join the club'"
description: "Rodri has spoken for the first time about his personal conversation with Mourinho, who tried to persuade him to join Real Madrid. The Spaniard explained why he chose Barcelona and thanked the Portuguese for the interest shown."
date: 2026-09-15T11:52:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rodri-reveals-details-of-conversation-with-mourinho-over-barcelona-move
tags: [rodri, barcelona, real-madrid, mourinho, la-liga, transfer, spain]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Rodri revealed details of his conversation with Mourinho: 'He expressed his desire for me to join the club'

![Rodri in a Barcelona kit amid reports of Mourinho's interest in a transfer](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/15/rodri-raskryl-detali-razgovora-s-mourinyu-o-perehode-v-barselonu/rodri-raskryl-detali-razgovora-s-mourinyu-o-perehode-v-barselonu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Rodri confirmed that Mourinho personally tried to persuade him to join Real Madrid, but the Spaniard kept the conversation confidential
- Rodri moved to Barcelona in August 2026 on a contract until the summer of 2030; the unofficial fee is around 60 million euros plus 15 million in bonuses
- In five matches for Barcelona (288 minutes), Rodri has not scored, but the team won all five games
- Barcelona lead La Liga with 15 points, ahead of Real Madrid (12 points)

Spain midfielder and reigning World Cup champion Rodri Gerard Martinez has spoken publicly for the first time about the contents of a private conversation with Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho, which took place shortly before the Spaniard finally decided on his new club. According to the midfielder, the Portuguese manager personally tried to persuade him to choose the capital club, but Rodri has kept the confidentiality of that conversation and declined to reveal all the details. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing Fabrizio Romano's post on the social network X.

### 'The attitude was very good'

'I don't think it's right to disclose the contents of a private conversation, but he expressed his desire for me to join the club and told me what I could bring to the team. The attitude was very good. When I made my decision, I also called him to thank him for the interest and the way he treated me,' Rodri is quoted by Sport RBC.UA. Thus, the Spaniard confirmed that the contact with Mourinho was a two-way process: the Portuguese did not limit himself to a formal offer, but tried to argue his case, explaining what role Rodri could play in his tactical setup. At the same time, the midfielder emphasised that after deciding to move to Barcelona, he personally called Mourinho to express his gratitude for the interest shown — a gesture that is regarded in football circles as a sign of high professional etiquette.

### Why Barcelona and not Real Madrid

Rodri officially joined the Catalan club in August 2026, signing a long-term contract running until the summer of 2030. According to unofficial reports, the transfer fee was around 60 million euros plus 15 million in bonuses tied to certain conditions. The player himself previously cited the sporting and personal aspects of the project as the main reason for choosing Barcelona, although he preferred not to publicly reveal the full extent of his motivation. It is worth noting that Real Madrid's interest in Rodri was no coincidence: Mourinho, who took charge of the Madrid club, viewed the Spaniard as a key reinforcement for the central zone, capable of providing ball control and defence at the highest level.

### Early start in the blaugrana: five matches, five wins

In Barcelona's colours, Rodri has already played five matches, spending a total of 288 minutes on the pitch. The midfielder has not yet been involved in any goals — neither scoring nor providing assists — but his team's results are impressive: Barcelona won every match in which he was involved. For a midfielder whose main role is linked to organising play and defensive duties, a lack of goal involvements at the start is not a critical indicator, whereas the team's unbeaten run when he is on the pitch serves as an indicator that his presence in the squad stabilises the blaugrana's play.

### La Liga context: Barcelona lead

At the current moment, the Catalans are top of the La Liga table with 15 points, ahead of Real Madrid, who are in second place with 12 points. Thus, Rodri's transfer is already having a noticeable impact on the balance of power in the Spanish championship: Barcelona not only maintain their lead but also display an effective style of play in which the new midfielder plays an important, though not always visible to the wider public, role. The three-point gap between the two main title contenders makes each subsequent round decisive, and the presence of a player of Rodri's calibre in the league leader's squad further strengthens their position in the title race.

### Contradictory data

There are a number of nuances that require clarification. First, the transfer fee for Rodri — around 60 million euros plus 15 million in bonuses — appears exclusively in unofficial sources; neither Barcelona nor the player's previous club have published confirmed figures, so the exact financial size of the deal remains a matter of speculation. Second, in various publications (championat.com, sports.ru, ua-football.com) the emphasis in presenting information about the conversation with Mourinho differs somewhat: some highlight the fact of the call itself and the polite refusal, others — the details of the Portuguese's argumentation. At the same time, the essence of Rodri's message is consistent across all versions: the conversation took place, Mourinho expressed interest, and the decision was made in favour of Barcelona. In addition, the materials mention a scandal linked to Rodri's move to Barcelona, however the specific details of the incident are not disclosed in the provided sources, which makes it impossible to cover it fully in this article.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [There were talks: Barcelona's new signing revealed he almost moved to Real Madrid](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/rozmovi-buli-novachok-barseloni-rozpoviv-1789471675.html) - Основной источник. Подтверждает факт разговора Родри с Моуринью, цитату игрока, детали трансфера (август 2026, контракт до 2030, ~60+15 млн), статистику 5 матчей/288 минут и положение в Ла Лиге (15 vs 12 очков).
- [Rodri revealed how he told Mourinho he would not be joining Real Madrid](https://www.championat.com/football/news-6621586-rodri-raskryl-kak-soobschil-mourinyu-chto-ne-perejdyot-v-real.html) - Подтверждает факт разговора и вежливый отказ Родри. Акцент на способе сообщения решения — звонок с благодарностью.
- [Rodri interview: how the refusal to Real Madrid went, 'ZM' should receive the Spaniard, 'Barca' are not Champions League favourites](https://www.sports.ru/football/blogs/3493287.html) - Подтверждает интервью Родри и его оценку «Барселоны» как не фаворита ЛЧ. Упоминает награду/признание, связанное с «ЗМ», детали которого не раскрыты в основном тексте.
- [Rodri named the main reason he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid](https://www.ua-football.com/foreign/spain/1789473941-rodri-nazval-glavnuyu-prichinu-po-kotoroy-on-vybral-barselonu-a-ne-real.html) - Подтверждает мотивацию выбора «Барселоны». Конкретная причина в заголовке не раскрыта, но согласуется с общей нарративной линией.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What did Mourinho tell Rodri in the conversation about a move to Real Madrid?
**A:** According to Rodri, Mourinho expressed his desire for him to join Real Madrid and told him exactly what Rodri could bring to the team. The midfielder kept the conversation confidential and did not reveal all the details, but noted that the coach's attitude was 'very good'.

### Q: What is the transfer fee for Rodri's move to Barcelona?
**A:** According to unofficial reports, the transfer fee was around 60 million euros plus 15 million in bonuses. No official confirmation of these figures has been issued by the clubs.

### Q: How is Rodri performing for Barcelona at the start of the season?
**A:** In five matches, Rodri has spent a total of 288 minutes on the pitch. He has not yet recorded any goals or assists, but Barcelona won all five matches in which he was involved.

### Q: Who is leading La Liga as of September 2026?
**A:** Barcelona are in first place with 15 points, ahead of Real Madrid (12 points), who are in second place.

### Q: Why did Rodri not move to Real Madrid?
**A:** Rodri previously cited the sporting and personal aspects of the project as the main reason for choosing Barcelona. He has not publicly revealed his full motivation, emphasising respect for both sides.