Rodri Hernández now has his preferred shirt number available at Real Madrid: Gonzalo’s departure has made it possible.
Rodri Hernández is not yet a Real Madrid player , but there’s a detail that’s gaining traction at Valdebebas if the deal goes through, as it seems likely to. Gonzalo García ‘s move to Fulham has freed up the number ’16’ shirt , precisely the number the midfielder has worn for the past few years, both for the Spanish national team and Manchester City.
The Spanish international feels a special connection to that number (he just won the World Cup wearing it) and, if he does end up wearing white, everything points to him wearing it again. It wouldn’t be an impromptu choice, but rather a continuation of a number that has already become part of his identity on the pitch.
At Real Madrid they were also thinking about another number
Within the club, however, there were also those who envisioned a different scenario. Authoritative voices at Valdebebas acknowledge that the idea of Rodri inheriting the number ‘6’ was very popular, as it’s a number that is particularly well-suited to midfielders.
Everything depends on Eduardo Camavinga
The number ‘6’ continues to belong to Eduardo Camavinga . The Frenchman hasn’t fully convinced Mourinho, and while his future remains uncertain, his departure hasn’t materialized yet. This is primarily because no attractive offers have been received for him. Therefore, as long as he continues to wear the Real Madrid jersey, the club has no plans to change the shirt numbers.
That scenario makes ’16’ the most natural option for Rodri , provided the deal goes through.
Real Madrid, having already decided on the signing, continues working on their main summer objective.
At the Santiago Bernabéu, they remain calm. They are aware that signing Rodri would significantly improve the team and fulfill their objective of strengthening the midfield , an area that has been problematic since Toni Kroos’ departure.
The agreement with the World Cup Golden Ball winner is complete, but an understanding still needs to be reached with Manchester City. All the conditions are in place for the deal to go through, and it seems likely that it will be officially announced sooner rather than later. Even so, we’ll have to wait.
