Barcelona's Third Bid for Rodri Approaches €80m
Barcelona have pushed a third time for Rodri, tabling an offer worth around €70million (£60m) as they close in on one of the defining midfielders of Manchester City’s modern era.
The bid still falls short of City’s valuation, but the gap is shrinking – and inside the Etihad there is a growing belief that the deal will get done.
City’s midfield general at a crossroads
Rodri, 30, is into the final year of his contract after arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and building a legacy that already belongs in club folklore.
- Four Premier League titles.
- A Champions League.
- Two FA Cups.
- And, crowning it all, the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
He has been the anchor of City’s dominance, the metronome at the base of midfield. Yet with Pep Guardiola walking away at the end of last season, the possibility of another seismic departure has gathered pace.
Barcelona moved early. Their opening bid, around £38.5m earlier this month, was dismissed out of hand. The Catalan club refused to be discouraged.
They came back with a second offer worth roughly €60m (£51m). City knocked that back too.
Now comes the third attempt: €70m on the table, and a sense that the negotiation is finally entering its decisive phase.
Barcelona close the distance
City sources have indicated they expect a resolution in the coming days. The price is clear: they want the overall package, including bonuses and add-ons, to reach about €80m (£68m).
Barcelona’s latest proposal edges significantly closer to that figure. With performance-related clauses included, both clubs are now operating in roughly the same financial postcode, and confidence is building that the final details can be ironed out.
Behind the scenes, the pressure has been carefully applied.
Earlier in the summer, City made their stance plain: if no agreement with Barcelona was in place before pre-season, Rodri had to return to Manchester. No exceptions.
He did exactly that. The Spain international reported back to the club while the two sides kept talking, a world-class midfielder back in training with a future that still felt unsettled.
Rodri’s camp steps in
City also delivered another message – this time to Rodri’s representatives. If Barcelona were to reach the required number, his camp would have to help bridge the gap.
They have answered that call. Those close to the player are now working in tandem with Barcelona, trying to construct a deal structure that satisfies City’s demands without breaking the Catalans’ finances.
All parties are said to remain optimistic. Rodri’s desire is unchanged: he wants the move to Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s third bid is another significant stride towards City’s €80m asking price. The expectation now is that fresh talks will attempt to close the remaining distance over the coming days.
For the moment, Rodri is still a Manchester City player. But with every revised offer, the prospect of the Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder walking out at Camp Nou feels less like a fantasy and more like the next major twist of this transfer window.
