Barcelona’s interest in Rodri
Barcelona is exploring a potential deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri. This comes as Real Madrid‘s discussions with the player have reportedly stalled. Rodri, who is in the final year of his contract with Manchester City, has been a key figure for his current club.
Sources close to the negotiations suggest that Barcelona has held talks with Rodri’s representatives regarding the terms of a possible transfer. It is understood that Rodri’s preference is to join Barcelona over other clubs this summer. The prospect of reuniting with several members of Spain‘s World Cup-winning squad at Camp Nou is said to appeal to him.
The interest from Barcelona follows a knee injury to their midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who is expected to be out for several months. This injury has created a potential opening in the holding midfield role for Barcelona. Rodri’s playing style is seen as a good fit for Barcelona‘s tactical approach under Hansi Flick.
Rodri’s background and potential fit
Rodri, who is 30 years old, won the Golden Ball as the best player at the World Cup. He also captained Spain in all eight games of the tournament. In 2024, he was named the player of the tournament when Spain won the European Championship. He joined Manchester City from Atlético Madrid in 2019.
During his time at Manchester City, Rodri has made 298 appearances, scoring 28 goals and providing 32 assists. His achievements with the club include four Premier League titles, two FA Cup wins, three League Cup victories, and the Champions League in 2023, where he scored the winning goal in the final. He has expressed a desire to return to his home country and play in La Liga again during his career.
Manchester City is aware of the interest from both Spanish clubs, and reports indicate that Rodri has shown little willingness to extend his current contract. He recently underwent minor back surgery and is expected to miss most of Manchester City‘s pre-season programme.
Financial considerations and other transfer targets
For Barcelona to proceed with a deal for Rodri, the club would likely need to sell players to create financial flexibility and space within their salary limits. The club’s financial position is expected to improve with their return to Camp Nou and the departure of players like Robert Lewandowski, which has freed up significant wages.
Despite these improvements, Barcelona‘s budget for the 2027-2028 season could be impacted by ongoing redevelopment works at Camp Nou, which will require the team to temporarily relocate next summer. The club also plans to increase its loan to complete the stadium rebuild.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid remains interested in Rodri, although negotiations with Manchester City over a transfer fee are still pending. Real Madrid has also agreed a club record fee for RB Leipzig‘s Yan Diomande and is in discussions with Vinícius Júnior about a contract extension. To sign Rodri, Real Madrid may need to offload players, with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga being potential departures.
In other transfer news, Barcelona has pursued Julián Alvarez from Atlético Madrid throughout the summer, but Atlético has maintained that the striker is not for sale. Barcelona‘s sporting director, Deco, met with Alvarez’s representatives recently. Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final against Argentina, is also in the final year of his contract at Barcelona and is awaiting talks regarding an extension. He is expected to be in training for Barcelona on August 12.
Source: theguardian.com
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