Barcelona's Pursuit of Rodri Intensifies with €70m Offer

Barcelona have pushed a third time for Rodri with an offer worth around €70million (£60m), but Manchester City are still holding the line closer to €80m (£68m).

The 30-year-old, out of contract next year, has been at the heart of City’s modern era. Signed from Atletico Madrid in 2019, he has driven the club to four Premier League titles, a Champions League and two FA Cups, and capped it all with the 2024 Ballon d’Or. At the Etihad, his status is secure. Legendary, even.

That is what makes this summer so stark. Pep Guardiola has gone. And Rodri, the on‑field metronome of that dynasty, is suddenly within reach for Barcelona.

The Catalan club opened the bidding earlier this month at around £38.5m, a figure City knocked back without hesitation. Barcelona did not back off. They see the 6ft 3in midfielder, who returned strongly last season after a serious knee injury, as the cornerstone of their next cycle.

A second offer of roughly €60m (£51m) followed and was again rejected. City’s stance was clear: serious money or no deal. The third proposal, now at about €70m, finally has the talks moving towards common ground.

Inside the Etihad, there is a growing belief that an agreement is coming. Club sources have indicated they expect the transfer to be wrapped up in the coming days, as long as Barcelona lift the overall package — including bonuses and add-ons — to around €80m.

The negotiations have not been left to the clubs alone. Earlier this month, City told Rodri he had to report back to Manchester if no deal was in place before pre-season. He did exactly that, returning to England while the two sides kept talking.

At the same time, City made it plain to his representatives: if Rodri wanted Barcelona, his camp had to help bridge the gap. They have stepped in. Those close to the player are now working in tandem with Barcelona, trying to structure a proposal that satisfies City’s valuation without breaking the Catalans’ finances.

The pressure is starting to tell. With add-ons included, the latest bid edges much closer to what City want, and there is rising confidence on all sides that the move will get done. Rodri, for his part, remains determined to swap Manchester for Camp Nou.

For now, he is still a Manchester City player, training under a new manager with a familiar badge on his chest. But with the third offer on the table and the gap narrowing by the day, it feels increasingly like a countdown rather than a stalemate.