Barcelona nears Rodri transfer as €210m deal approaches
The Rodri saga is finally reaching its breaking point.
Barcelona and Manchester City remain locked in talks over the Spain midfielder, with the gap between the clubs now slim and a third offer due to land in Manchester later today. After weeks of back-and-forth, this is heading towards the decisive phase.
City have already rejected two bids from the Catalan side. The Premier League champions are holding firm at around €80 million, determined to squeeze maximum value from a player who, crucially, has just one year left on his contract. That detail, which usually drags a fee down, has barely shifted City’s stance.
Barcelona, though, are closing in. Their latest proposal is understood to be not far off City’s asking price, and there is growing expectation that an agreement could be sealed in the coming days.
A €210 million commitment
On paper, Rodri’s transfer fee should sit around the €75 million mark. In reality, the full operation is far heavier on Barcelona’s balance sheet.
According to Diario AS, the total package could climb to roughly €210 million once every cost is factored in.
Barcelona have put a four-year contract on the table, worth a net €15 million per season. In Catalonia, that translates into a gross salary of about €34 million a year. Over four seasons, that’s €136 million in wages alone.
Add the transfer fee and commissions on top, and the total investment is projected to reach €210 million – and potentially even edge higher depending on how the final deal is structured.
For a club still wrestling with financial constraints, it is a massive outlay. For Barcelona, it underlines just how far they are willing to go to secure a midfielder they see as a cornerstone for the next cycle.
Waiting game for Rodri
Rodri has already returned from his post-World Cup holiday, but not in the way Barcelona had initially hoped.
The plan, at one stage, was simple: skip the return to England and fly straight into Barcelona as a new signing. Instead, he was recently seen boarding a flight back to England, the move still not signed off.
Even so, the player has requested to be excused from training while negotiations reach their climax. Whether he actually turns up for pre-season with City now hangs over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Rodri’s close relationship with several Barcelona players only feeds the sense of inevitability around the transfer. The dressing room door is wide open. The contract is ready. The numbers are on the table.
What remains is City’s green light.
City’s Enzo chase adds late tension
There is another clock ticking in the background.
Manchester City are pushing hard to sign Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez and are working to a deadline of under 24 hours to close that deal. That pursuit could have a direct impact on Rodri’s future.
If City manage to secure Enzo in time, the pressure to finally resolve Rodri’s situation will only intensify. With the two clubs already close on fee and a third Barcelona bid imminent, the conditions are there for a breakthrough.
The saga has stretched across the summer. Now it comes down to a handful of calls, a final offer, and one decisive answer from Manchester.
