Rodri Seeks Barcelona Move as Manchester City Talks Progress
Rodri has made his position clear. He wants Barcelona, and he is prepared to bend his routine to get there.
The 30-year-old midfielder, who has already agreed personal terms with Barça after giving the club the green light almost a week ago, is now waiting on Manchester City and the Catalans to finally settle on a transfer fee. That part is dragging. Too much for his liking.
According to SPORT, the Spain international has asked City for special permission to skip training while the two clubs try to close the gap in negotiations. His holidays officially ended on Thursday, with his return to pre-season at City scheduled for Friday morning. On paper, he should be back under Pep Guardiola’s orders. In reality, he is trying to hold off.
Rodri wants to stay on the sidelines, away from the day-to-day of City’s training ground, and protect himself while the deal is thrashed out. He does not want to risk injury, nor complicate a move he clearly sees as the next step in his career.
If City say no, though, he will report as instructed. The stance is firm but not confrontational: he remains ready to train and play if the English champions demand it, while talks continue in the background.
Despite the tension of a potential blockbuster transfer, the relationship between Rodri, Manchester City and Barcelona is described as good. There are no public spats, no leaks of anger from any side. Just hard negotiation.
Fine margins between City and Barça
There is still no final agreement between the clubs, but the financial gap is shrinking. The numbers are moving, slowly, in Barcelona’s favour.
Rodri’s stance has not shifted. He wants to wait for Barça. His hope is that an agreement is struck in the coming days so he can fly straight to Barcelona and immediately start working under Hansi Flick.
Barcelona have been here before. Ferran Torres found himself in a similar situation when he was allowed to delay his return while Barça wrapped up his move to Paris Saint-Germain. Rodri is looking for the same kind of understanding from City now.
The midfielder was spotted at Madrid airport on Thursday evening, preparing to fly to Liverpool, roughly a 45-minute drive from Manchester. The trip hints at a practical step: he could be returning to collect his belongings and keep himself nearby, ready in case City insist he rejoins the squad.
For Barcelona fans, his potential arrival is one of the most anticipated moves of the summer. Bringing in a World Cup-winning midfielder of his profile would instantly raise the ceiling of Flick’s team and reshape their spine.
Inside the club, the pressure is now on Deco. The sporting director must find the formula to finally unlock an agreement with Manchester City, matching Barça’s financial reality with City’s valuation.
What happens next will be telling. If City summon Rodri back to training, it suggests there is still work to do. If they quietly allow him to stay away, it will be a clear sign that this long courtship is close to becoming a done deal.
