Rodri Transfer Saga: Barcelona's Bid Rejected by Manchester City
Manchester City have knocked back a £38.5m (€45m) bid from Barcelona for Rodri and made it clear they will not even open the door unless the offer climbs to at least £60m.
For the first time since he walked into the Etihad in 2019, the Spain midfielder is pushing to leave. With only a year left on his contract and Pep Guardiola gone, Rodri has decided the time is right to return home. Barcelona, after edging out Real Madrid in the race for his signature, are the club he wants.
Talks with Madrid collapsed earlier this week. From there, Barcelona moved quickly. Personal terms are understood to be agreed with the 30-year-old World Cup-winning captain, who has told City he sees his future back in La Liga. City, though, are in no mood to be rushed or lowballed.
They have already lost Guardiola. They do not intend to lose their midfield anchor on the cheap.
Barcelona push, City dig in
The Catalan club’s opening offer of £38.5m landed well short of City’s valuation and was swiftly rejected. City believe Rodri remains one of the most influential midfielders in the world and are holding firm on a price north of £60m before they even consider sanctioning a sale.
Barcelona are not walking away. Negotiations continue, with the Spanish champions hoping that City’s stance will soften as the window wears on and as Rodri’s contract ticks towards its final months.
Hansi Flick has made him a priority. With Frenkie de Jong ruled out for several months after a knee injury, Barça need a ready-made controller at the base of midfield. Flick and sporting director Deco spoke directly with Rodri on Wednesday to sell the project and outline his role. The answer they received was encouraging: he wants the move.
Rodri’s own preparations for the new season have already been disrupted. He has undergone minor back surgery and is set to miss most of City’s pre-season schedule, adding another layer of uncertainty to a summer already thick with change.
City plan for life after Rodri – just in case
Publicly, City project calm. Privately, they are drawing up contingencies.
They have already spent heavily, bringing in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m. Talks are ongoing with Lille over Ayyoub Bouaddi, the highly rated Morocco midfielder who could cost up to £80m. Bouaddi would represent another long-term investment, a player to grow into the role rather than replace Rodri overnight.
That is why City are also weighing a more established option if their No 16 forces the issue. Enzo Fernández sits near the top of that list. The Chelsea midfielder, a World Cup winner with Argentina, is admired for his range of passing and aggression in possession. He would not come cheap, and he would not be short of suitors.
Real Madrid are already circling.
Madrid bruised, but still lurking
Madrid’s interest in Rodri was no secret. José Mourinho, back at the Santiago Bernabéu for a second spell, made the signing of a central midfielder a clear priority on his return. Learning that Barcelona had moved ahead of them in the chase for Rodri has not gone down well.
Reports in Spain suggest the 63-year-old is unhappy at being beaten to a player he had earmarked as the heartbeat of his new-look side. If Rodri is slipping from their grasp, Madrid may turn their attention fully to Fernández, setting up another tug-of-war with an English giant.
Their own spending has already been aggressive. Winger Yan Diomande has arrived for £115m, while Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espí have all come through the door. Those deals have strengthened Mourinho’s squad across the pitch but have also tightened the financial margins.
To go after Fernández seriously, Madrid may have to sacrifice one of their prized young midfielders. Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga, both central to the club’s long-term planning, could be pushed towards the market if the books need balancing.
The dominoes are lined up. Rodri’s future sits at the front of the chain. If City finally blink, Barcelona get their conductor, Madrid pivot to Fernández, and the European midfield market explodes. If they don’t, everyone else will have to rip up their plans and start again.
