Manchester City Rejects Barcelona's £55m Bid for Rodri
Manchester City have rejected a fresh £55m offer from Barcelona for Rodri, underlining just how hard the Spanish club will have to push if they want to prise the midfielder out of the Etihad.
Barca saw an opening proposal of around £40m knocked back last week. They came back stronger, as expected, raising the bid into the £50m–£60m bracket. City’s answer has not changed. Not enough. Not yet.
The Premier League champions value the 30-year-old at upwards of £60m, even with Rodri now into the final year of his contract. Talks between the clubs continue, and Barcelona remain intent on making him the heartbeat of their midfield. The Catalans are weighing up their next move, knowing they are dealing with one of the most influential players in European football.
Inside City, the stance is clear. They do not want to sell Spain’s World Cup-winning captain. The preference is to tie Rodri down to a new deal and keep him at the centre of their next cycle. But there is a line in the sand: if Rodri formally asks to leave, City are not expected to block a move.
For now, the saga hangs on the player’s decision as much as the fee.
Reijnders talks open door to major midfield reset
While the Rodri story rumbles on, City are also deep in negotiations over another key midfielder.
The club are in advanced and positive talks with Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah over the sale of Tijjani Reijnders, with a package worth around £51.3m (€60m) on the table. Qadsiah see Reijnders as a world-class, peak-age signing to anchor their midfield as they prepare for a first Asian Champions League campaign and a move into their new Aramco Stadium.
If that deal is completed and Barcelona eventually succeed with Rodri, City could lose two central midfielders in the same window. That prospect has already shaped their recruitment plans.
City are looking at bringing in potentially two midfielders, with concrete interest in Enzo Fernandez and highly rated Ayyoub Bouaddi. The message is unmistakable: if one era of City’s midfield is edging towards a crossroads, the club intend to build the next one just as aggressively.
