Barcelona intensifies Rodri negotiations with Manchester City
The Rodri saga has shifted into overdrive.
FC Barcelona and Manchester City are locked in intense negotiations over the Spain midfielder, with talks described as moving at a frantic pace after the player made his position clear: he wants Barça. Not Real Madrid, who were also in the frame. Only Barça.
That stance has changed the tone of the discussions. While Enzo Maresca publicly spoke as though he expected Rodri back at City’s training sessions, the feeling around the deal points in the opposite direction. The transfer is edging closer, not drifting away.
Barça come back with a bigger bid
Barcelona have now moved to their second formal offer. According to SPORT, the La Liga champions are putting a package worth €70 million on the table: €65 million fixed, plus €5 million in add-ons.
Their opening bid of €50 million never stood a chance. City, Premier League heavyweights and in no rush to weaken the core of their side, rejected it without hesitation. Reports in England have consistently indicated that City value Rodri at around £70 million, roughly €80 million, and would not entertain offers significantly below that figure.
The pressure told quickly. Talks were kept alive over the weekend with a clear objective: find a number that would at least drag City to the negotiating table in earnest. This second offer is that attempt.
It still sits below City’s reported asking price, but it marks a substantial jump from Barça’s first proposal and underlines how badly the Catalans want their man.
Both clubs edging toward middle ground
Neither side wants this to become a long, draining standoff. There is broad agreement on one key point: Rodri’s desire to move.
Barcelona have made their move with the €65m+€5m structure. Now the spotlight turns to City. The expectation in Barcelona is that the English champions will have to bend, at least slightly, and soften their financial demands if they are to respect the player’s wish without dragging the saga through the rest of the window.
Inside the Camp Nou offices, the plan is clear. Barça want the transfer wrapped up between today and tomorrow. Executives see very little room left for further negotiation, which is why this second bid has been shaped as a near-final effort, leaving only space for minor tweaks if City push back on the add-ons or payment terms.
Rodri waiting on green light
On the player’s side, the groundwork is done. Rodri has already reached an agreement on a four-year contract with Barcelona and is simply waiting for the two clubs to find common ground.
His priority is to avoid returning to Manchester for pre-season only to leave again. The midfielder wants clarity now, not in a few weeks. That urgency feeds directly into Barça’s own timeline and adds subtle pressure on City’s hierarchy.
The numbers are on the table. The will of the player is no secret.
What remains to be seen is whether Barcelona’s latest offer is enough to make one of the Premier League’s giants blink.
