Rodri Set for Barcelona Move After Manchester City Accept £65.4 Million Transfer Bid
Manchester City have accepted a transfer bid worth 65.4 million pounds from Barcelona for Spain international midfielder Rodri, bringing an end to a lengthy transfer saga and paving the way for the World Cup winning captain’s return to his home country. According to reports from British media, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has agreed personal terms on a four year contract with the Spanish champions and is expected to travel to Barcelona in the coming days to complete his medical examination ahead of finalising the move.
The deal marks the successful conclusion of an extended pursuit by Barcelona, who had seen two previous bids for Rodri rejected by Manchester City before returning with an improved offer that ultimately proved acceptable to the Premier League club. Barcelona’s initial proposal of around 45 million euros was turned down, as was a subsequent offer reported to be worth roughly 60 million euros plus additional performance related add-ons. It was only with their third and most substantial offer, understood to total approximately 76.5 million euros including add-ons, that Manchester City agreed to sanction the sale of their long serving midfielder.
Rodri’s decision to join Barcelona followed a period during which he had also held discussions with fellow Spanish giants Real Madrid, who reportedly presented the midfielder with a reasonable personal offer of their own. However, according to his agent, Rodri ultimately expressed a clear preference for a move to Barcelona over any potential switch to Real Madrid. Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick is understood to have played a significant personal role in convincing the player to choose the Catalan club, reportedly making a direct phone call to Rodri that proved influential in his eventual decision to commit to the move.
The 30 year old midfielder joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid back in 2019 for what was then a club record transfer fee of approximately 62.8 million pounds, going on to enjoy an extraordinarily successful seven year spell at the Etihad Stadium. During his time with the club, Rodri made 298 appearances and won twelve major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League, memorably scoring the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan in Istanbul, a result that completed Manchester City’s historic treble winning season.
Rodri had entered the final year of his contract at Manchester City, with the club reportedly having hoped he would commit to a contract extension rather than depart for a rival European club. However, Barcelona’s persistent pursuit and eventually improved financial offer proved sufficient to convince City to sanction the sale, particularly given the player’s contract situation and his own stated preference for the move. Sources close to Barcelona have described the signing as a statement acquisition for head coach Hansi Flick, who has reportedly prioritised bringing in a commanding, world class defensive midfielder capable of dictating tempo and restoring stability to the center of the pitch since taking charge of the Catalan club.
Rodri’s departure is expected to leave a considerable void in Manchester City’s midfield setup, with some pundits already noting his absence proved costly during City’s recent Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, during which the team appeared to lack control and composure in central areas of the pitch. With Barcelona’s pursuit of Rodri now successfully concluded, attention has also turned to reports suggesting Manchester City could subsequently move to strengthen their own midfield by pursuing Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, with City manager Enzo Maresca reportedly a long standing admirer of the Argentine international’s playing style and potential contribution to the squad.
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