Manchester City have rejected an initial bid of £38.5m from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri who the Premier League side is willing to sell the Spaniard but would require over £60m.
The 30-year-old is in the last year of his contract at Etihad Stadium and has not yet agreed to a new deal, with rumors swirling about his future this summer.
It seemed Real Madrid would be his next stop, but La Liga opponent Barcelona is now in front after sources informed BBC Sport on Thursday that the club had received the player’s consent to begin talks with City. The proposal was presented on Friday.
Barca sources initially informed BBC Sport that there were no assurances any deal would occur, but the circumstances now seem to be evolving.
The club announced on Friday that they are in continuous discussions with the player’s agents and subsequently presented their initial proposal.
Sources from the BBC report that negotiations with Madrid have concluded.
Rodri was sidelined for a large portion of the 2024-25 season due to a severe knee injury, and his previous season was affected by a hamstring problem.
Nonetheless, the 2024 Ballon d’Or recipient regained his top form during the World Cup in the summer, guiding Spain to their second championship and earning the player of the tournament distinction.
He is presently sidelined after having back surgery last month and is set to reunite with his City teammates in Manchester early next week.
As the second week of August in the transfer window approaches, City intends to quickly clarify Rodri’s future to secure a replacement.
Negotiations are ongoing to sign 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, but the French club’s £86m asking price appears to be a sticking point.
Spanish radio network Cadena Ser reported that Real Madrid presented Rodri with an “irresistible” offer soon after Spain’s World Cup victory, having spoken directly to his agent Pablo Barquero.
Discussions started merely days following the tournament, with Rodri’s representatives commending the club’s courtesy, class, and respect displayed during the negotiations.
The report states that all individuals at Real Madrid, including president Florentino Perez and chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez, collaborated to finalize the agreement and emphasized their commitment to acquiring the midfielder.
They had laid all their cards on the table to finalize the agreement, but in spite of encouraging talks during the last two weeks, Rodri has chosen to pursue a different offer, according to the radio network.
Cadena Ser reports that Real Madrid learned of Rodri’s choice on Friday and opted to conclude the process to prevent extending uncertainty, expressing gratitude to the player for the respectful manner of the negotiations.
