Barcelona Target Rodri as Atlético Madrid Block Julián Álvarez Move
Barcelona have stepped into Real Madrid’s pursuit of Rodri, sensing an opening in a transfer saga that has already unsettled Manchester City’s summer and could yet reshape the balance of power in Spain.
At the same time, their long-running chase of Julián Álvarez has hit a brick wall, with Atlético Madrid refusing to even name a price.
Barça circle as Real stall on Rodri
Rodri, Spain’s World Cup-winning captain and Golden Ball winner, has entered the final year of his contract at City. The Premier League champions still hope to tie the 30-year-old down to fresh terms, but those inside the deal believe a bid of around £60m would be enough to tempt them to sell.
Real Madrid moved first. They opened talks with Rodri and his representatives weeks ago, but negotiations have dragged without a breakthrough. No agreement, no signature, and now no clear run at their target.
Barcelona have moved into that gap.
Frenkie de Jong’s knee injury, which is expected to keep the Dutchman out for several months, has forced Barça to rethink their midfield plans. Rodri, with his control, authority and big-game pedigree, fits the profile perfectly. The club have formally registered their interest and are watching Real’s stalled talks closely.
The equation is complicated at the Bernabéu. Real have already committed a club-record £115m fee to sign Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig and are deep in negotiations with Vinícius Júnior over a lucrative contract extension designed to fend off interest from Arsenal. To add Rodri on top of that, they may need to sell.
Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga, both admired across Europe, are viewed as possible departures if Real push ahead. Manchester United have been linked with the France midfielders and are monitoring the situation, aware that one big move could trigger another.
For now, Rodri is in limbo. He has undergone minor back surgery and will miss most of City’s pre-season programme, another wrinkle in a summer that could yet end with him in La Liga.
City rebuild while the vultures circle
Manchester City are not standing still. With uncertainty over Rodri’s future and his temporary absence through injury, they have already moved to reinforce their midfield.
Elliot Anderson has arrived from Nottingham Forest in a £116m deal, a statement signing in both fee and profile. City are also in talks with Lille over 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, a player they see as one for the present as much as the future.
Yet every step they take is shadowed by the possibility that their midfield fulcrum could be prised away. If Real and Barcelona both stay in the race, the pressure on City’s resolve — and on Rodri’s decision — will only intensify.
Barcelona hit wall in Álvarez chase
While they probe City’s stance on Rodri, Barcelona have run into a far more stubborn opponent in the capital.
Their pursuit of Julián Álvarez has been relentless since Robert Lewandowski’s departure left a glaring hole at centre-forward. The Argentina striker, now 26 and reborn at Atlético after his Manchester City spell, has been at the top of Barça’s attacking shortlist all summer.
Atlético’s response has been blunt: not for sale. Not at any price.
The message has not changed despite weeks of contact. On Wednesday, Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, travelled to Madrid to meet Álvarez’s representatives, a sign of how serious the Catalan club are about the deal. They want to know if the player is prepared to push.
That question will hang over the next few days. All eyes will be on Monday, when Atlético players are due to report back for pre-season training. If Álvarez walks through the gates as normal, Atlético will feel vindicated in their hardline stance. If he stays away, the entire dynamic shifts and the pressure moves squarely onto the club.
Arsenal, watching from a distance, retain an interest in Álvarez and are ready to move if the situation cracks open.
For now, Barcelona stand at a crossroads: one eye on City’s midfield general, the other on Atlético’s immovable No 9. Their next move will say plenty about how bold they are prepared to be in a summer where Real Madrid are already spending big and the margin for hesitation is shrinking fast.
