Real Madrid Rejects Rodri and Olise Amid Mourinho's Transfer Strategy

Real Madrid have drawn a clear line through two of the summer’s most persistent rumours. Rodri and Michael Olise, heavily linked to the Bernabéu in recent weeks, are not coming – at least not now.

According to The Athletic, club sources insist Rodri is not part of Madrid’s plans this window. That stance holds even after his outstanding season, his commanding form for Spain and his award as best player at the 2026 World Cup. On pure football logic, he looks like the perfect fit. On Madrid’s internal transfer board, his name is crossed out.

The decision jars with the swirl of reports from Spain, including Marca, claiming Rodri is eager to wear white and that some voices inside the club are pushing hard for a move. Certain board members are said to be urging Florentino Pérez to test whether a deal could be forced open. For now, they are being overruled.

Rodri’s profile seemed tailor‑made for a Bernabéu homecoming. He knows La Liga, he knows the pressure, and his time at Atlético Madrid proved he can anchor a midfield in Spain’s most intense fixtures. His name has hovered around Madrid’s recruitment meetings for months. Yet those same club sources are adamant: the Spanish midfielder does not figure in this summer’s strategy.

The answer is just as blunt for Michael Olise.

The Athletic reports that Madrid’s position on the Bayern Munich winger remains unchanged. The club deny any negotiations with Bayern and have already gone public once, issuing an official statement to reject claims they were in talks to sign the France international. Behind the scenes, the message matches the press release: Olise is not an active target.

Bringing him in now is described as unrealistic. Not because the player lacks quality, but because Madrid simply do not see a deal as achievable at this stage of their planning and budget cycle. For Olise, the Bernabéu door is as firmly shut as it is for Rodri.

All of this unfolds against the backdrop of José Mourinho’s second great Madrid project taking shape. The Portuguese coach wants a defender. He wants another midfielder. He wants, as ever, a squad built for battles in April and May, not just headlines in July.

The hierarchy see it slightly differently. From the boardroom, the message is that most of the heavy lifting in this transfer window has already been done. The focus, they believe, must now shift to trimming the squad, moving players out, freeing space and salary before any late move for fresh faces can even be considered.

Mourinho is pushing for specific reinforcements. The club are prioritising exits. Rodri and Olise, for all the noise around them, sit on the outside of that internal tug of war.

Madrid have made their call. The market will soon reveal whether they were right to walk away from two of Europe’s most coveted talents.