Barcelona Set to Announce Rodri's Signing and Shirt Number

Barcelona are on the brink of unveiling Rodri as their new midfield general – and the Spain star has already made his first big decision at the club.

The Catalan side have reached a full agreement with Manchester City to sign the 28‑year‑old, with only the official announcement missing. The deal is set at 60 million euros as a fixed fee, with a further 16 million tied to incentives and variables, according to aligned reports in Spain and England.

Rodri will sign a four-year contract and step straight into the top wage bracket at the club. His net salary is expected to exceed 13 million euros per season, placing him among Barcelona’s highest earners and underlining how central he is to their rebuild.

But before he even sets foot in the dressing room, one detail has already been settled: his shirt number.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Rodri asked Fermin Lopez to vacate the number 16 shirt – the number that has followed him through Manchester City and the Spanish national team, and has become part of his on‑pitch identity.

The request was granted.

According to Romano, Fermin agreed to give up 16 and is preparing to switch to the number 7 shirt, a change that clears the way for Rodri to keep his trademark number at his new club.

Barcelona are expected to confirm Rodri’s squad number when they officially present the signing. All signs point in the same direction: the Spanish midfielder walking out at the Spotify Camp Nou with the number 16 on his back, ready to anchor another era from the heart of midfield.