Manchester City Rejects £55m Barcelona Bid for Rodri

Manchester City have pushed back again. Barcelona returned with an improved £55m offer for Rodri – and City have rejected it.

The Spanish club saw an opening proposal of around £40m knocked back last week. They came back stronger, as expected, raising the bid into the £50m–£60m bracket. Still not enough. Not for a player City value as the heartbeat of their midfield.

City are understood to be looking for a fee north of £60m for the 30-year-old, who is now into the final year of his contract. Talks between the clubs remain active, and Barcelona are weighing up their next move as they chase one of the most influential midfielders in world football.

The stance from Manchester has been clear all summer: they do not want to sell Spain’s World Cup-winning captain. The priority at the Etihad is to tie Rodri down to a new deal rather than cash in. The only caveat is a significant one – if Rodri formally asks to leave, City will not block his exit.

For now, the door is only half open. Barcelona keep knocking. City keep holding firm.

Reijnders talks gather pace with Al Qadsiah

While Rodri dominates the headlines, another key midfield story is unfolding in the background.

City are in advanced and positive negotiations with Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah over the sale of Tijjani Reijnders. The proposed package sits at around £51.3m (€60m), a figure that underlines how highly Qadsiah rate the Dutch midfielder.

Inside the Saudi club, Reijnders is seen as a world-class, peak-age signing – exactly the kind of statement addition they want as they gear up for their first Asian Champions League campaign. The timing is significant: Al Qadsiah are also preparing to move into their new Aramco Stadium, and they want a team to match the arena.

If that deal goes through and Barcelona eventually succeed with Rodri, City could lose two central midfielders in the same window. That risk is already shaping their recruitment plans.

City’s next move in midfield

The champions are not standing still. Alongside managing outbound interest, City are looking at bringing in as many as two midfielders, with concrete interest in Enzo Fernandez and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The equation is simple but delicate: hold firm on Rodri, negotiate the right price for Reijnders, and land the next generation of midfield control.

Whether Barcelona are prepared to cross City’s valuation – and whether Rodri is prepared to force the issue – will decide how dramatic this reshuffle becomes.