Barcelona's Pursuit of Rodri Hits a Wall
Barcelona have tested Manchester City’s resolve for Rodri. City barely blinked.
Over the past 24 hours, the Catalan club have pushed an offer on the table worth 50 million euros for the Spain midfielder. City’s response was swift and uncompromising: no.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barça are prepared to stretch that bid to 60 million euros in an effort to tempt the Premier League champions into talks for a player widely regarded as the standout performer at the 2026 World Cup. It still is not close.
City, who cherish both their sporting project and a historically cordial relationship with Barcelona, are not entertaining what they see as cut‑price proposals for one of the pillars of Pep Guardiola’s side. This is the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, a 30‑year‑old metronome at the heart of their success, and they are pricing him accordingly.
City set their line in the sand
Marca reported on Tuesday that City have fixed their valuation at 70 million euros. That figure is not a negotiating ploy; it is the threshold. Anything below it will be ignored.
The logic in Manchester is clear. Replacing Rodri will not be cheap, and City know it. High on their list of potential successors sit Morocco international Ayoub Bouaddi of Lyon and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández. Neither would come close to a bargain.
AS estimates Bouaddi’s fee alone could soar to around 130 million euros, with his overall transfer value expected to surpass the 100 million euro mark. Enzo, already one of the most expensive midfielders in history, would also command a huge outlay. Those numbers explain City’s stance. If they are to lose Rodri, they want a fee that reflects both his status and the financial shock of sourcing a replacement.
Barça’s limit meets City’s ambition
Barcelona, weighed down by familiar financial constraints, have little appetite for a 70 million euro deal. Inside the club, there is no intention to match City’s asking price as things stand.
Even so, the Catalans are not walking away. A key meeting is scheduled between Hugo Viana and Deco, the sporting directors of Manchester City and Barcelona, with both clubs expected to lay out their positions face to face. It is there the deal will either find a narrow path forward or stall completely.
Barça had quietly hoped for a very different timeline. The plan was for Rodri to return on Wednesday and, instead of heading back into City’s pre-season rhythm, slip into a new chapter at the Olympic Stadium. That scenario now hangs by a thread.
Unless Barcelona can somehow drag the price down in the coming hours, the midfielder is expected to report back to Manchester and resume training under Guardiola.
For now, the message from City is blunt: if you want the heartbeat of our midfield, you pay like it.
