Barcelona targets Rodri with €60 million bid from Manchester City
Barcelona have placed Rodri at the centre of their rebuild and are ready to make one of the boldest financial moves of the Hansi Flick era to get him out of Manchester City, according to multiple reports in Spain and England.
Barcelona raise the stakes
Diario AS, relayed by Barca Universal, reports that Barça are prepared to pay around €60 million to City for the Spain midfielder and hand him a four-year deal worth roughly €30 million gross per season. That package would instantly move Rodri into the top bracket of earners at the club.
Yahoo Sports has also detailed how Barcelona’s pursuit has escalated. After an initial €45 million offer was reportedly rejected, the Catalan club returned with a second proposal: €60 million plus add-ons, with bonuses designed to close the distance to City’s €80 million valuation.
The new offer is aimed at finding a compromise figure that satisfies City while still fitting into Barcelona’s tight financial structure.
Choosing Barcelona over Madrid
The transfer battle has not just been about money. It has also cut straight through Spain’s biggest rivalry.
According to AS, Rodri has informed Real Madrid that he intends to join Barcelona. The report states that the 30-year-old favours Barça’s playing style, feels at ease with several players in the dressing room from his time with the national team, and appreciates the footballing ideas that trace back to Pep Guardiola’s spell at Camp Nou.
Barca Universal previously reported that Barcelona had moved ahead of Real Madrid in the race, despite Madrid’s strong interest in the Manchester City midfielder. Rodri’s reported decision, if confirmed, would be a significant blow to Madrid’s midfield planning and a symbolic win for Barcelona in the market.
A huge financial gamble under Flick
For Barcelona, this is not a routine deal. It is a statement.
A €60 million transfer fee combined with a four-year contract on around €30 million gross per season would rank among the club’s largest financial commitments since Hansi Flick took charge, as highlighted by Barca Universal. It would also reshape the wage hierarchy in the dressing room.
Robert Lewandowski had been one of Barcelona’s top earners until his contract expired at the end of last season and he left the club. On the reported terms, Rodri would effectively step into that financial space, becoming one of the standard-setters for salaries in Flick’s squad.
Racing the clock
Negotiations are active. Yahoo Sports reports that Barcelona and Manchester City remain in talks, with Barça pushing to strike an agreement this week so that Rodri can join training as quickly as possible.
The €60 million plus add-ons proposal is designed to bridge the gap between Barcelona’s initial €45 million valuation and City’s €80 million asking price. The next few days will show whether that structure is enough to unlock a deal—or whether City’s stance forces Barcelona to stretch even further for the midfielder they see as the anchor of their new era.
