Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City for a fee of around £65m, with the 30-year-old midfielder set to sign a four-year contract with the Spanish champions. The transfer, which is expected to be finalised in the coming days, brings an end to seven trophy-laden seasons at City.
Rodri, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2024, joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club-record £62.8m and went on to make 298 appearances for the club. His departure comes after a stop-start couple of seasons in which he missed much of the 2024-25 campaign with a serious knee injury and had parts of last season disrupted by a hamstring problem.
How did the negotiations unfold?
Barcelona's pursuit followed a lengthy back-and-forth with City after their initial approach was knocked back. City had rejected Barcelona's opening bid earlier in the window at a time when Real Madrid's own interest in the Spain captain had collapsed, with the club indicating they would only sell for more than £60m. According to a national broadcaster's report, that opening offer from Barcelona was worth roughly €45m, or about £38.5m, well short of City's valuation.
A second, improved offer of around €60m (£51m) was also turned down, as detailed in City's rejection of a fresh Barcelona bid reported earlier in August. City had reportedly been holding out for a fee closer to £65m, with some reports cited by ESPN suggesting the club valued him at more than €70m. Rodri is understood to have already agreed personal terms with Barcelona and to have made clear his preference for a move to the Catalan club over Real Madrid, according to the same report.
The saga also followed a period of uncertainty over Rodri's fitness, having earlier undergone back surgery that ruled him out for a short spell, with Real Madrid among the clubs linked to him at that stage. Separately, Real Madrid had expressed confidence over signing Rodri earlier in the summer, before their interest ultimately fell away. Reports indicate the transfer is being pushed through now in part because Rodri is entering the final year of his contract at City.
What did Rodri achieve at Manchester City?
Rodri leaves City having won 12 major honours during his time at the club, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League in the 2022-23 season. He capped his summer by captaining Spain to their second World Cup title and being named player of the tournament, having returned to top form after his injury troubles.
What happens next?
With City having rejected Barcelona's two previous bids, the two clubs are understood to have now settled on a fee of about £65m to complete the move. Should the deal proceed as expected, it would be finalised before the summer transfer window closes, bringing to an end a transfer saga that has run for several weeks.
Key Facts
- Fee: around £65m, with Rodri set to sign a four-year deal at Barcelona
- City record: 298 appearances since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for £62.8m
- Honours won at City: 12, including four Premier League titles and the 2022-23 Champions League
- Barcelona's first two bids, reportedly worth €45m and €60m, were both rejected by City
- Rodri was named player of the tournament as Spain won the World Cup this summer
