Rodrigo was born on 22/06/1996 in Madrid, Spain. Rodri joined Atlético Madrid's youth setup in 2007 aged 11, from CF Rayo Majadahonda. Released in 2013 due to a "lack of physical strength", he subsequently signed with Villarreal CF. On 24 May 2018, Rodri returned to Atlético after the club reached an agreement with Villarreal for his transfer. He signed a five-year contract with the Madrid side. On 3 July 2019, Manchester City met the terms of Rodri's €70 million release clause. The transfer was a new record transfer fee paid by Manchester City.