Manchester City has turned down an initial offer from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri. The bid was deemed too low by City, who are reportedly seeking a higher amount for the player. Rodri is currently in the final year of his contract with City.
Sources in Spain suggest that Rodri would prefer a move to Barcelona over Real Madrid. Discussions between Rodri and Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick, and sporting director, Deco, reportedly took place recently regarding a potential transfer. Despite this, City’s preference is to agree on a new contract with Rodri. However, reports indicate that City would not prevent him from leaving if he requests a move.
Transfer Negotiations and Player Interest
The initial offer from Barcelona for Rodri was rejected by Manchester City. City is reportedly looking for a significant fee for the midfielder. Following the rejection, talks regarding a deal have paused for the time being. Barcelona, however, is not expected to abandon their pursuit of Rodri and plans are reportedly in motion for another offer in the coming days.
Rodri is understood to have agreed personal terms with the Spanish champions after indicating a desire to return to his home country. Rodri joined Manchester City in 2019 from Atlético Madrid and has reportedly declined a contract extension offer.
Barcelona‘s interest in Rodri comes as the club will be without Frenkie de Jong for several months due to a knee injury. Rodri, who recently underwent minor back surgery, is expected to miss most of City’s pre-season schedule.
Potential Replacements and Other Club Activities
As Manchester City considers its options for a potential replacement for Rodri, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández has been mentioned as a possible target. Reports suggest that Fernández is manager Enzo Maresca‘s “dream” signing. Earlier reports indicated that Fernández was not a priority for City, as their main goal was to retain Rodri.
The situation regarding Fernández could change if Rodri departs, potentially leading City to seek two new players. Fernández is due back at Chelsea training next week. His future with the Blues has been subject to speculation, despite having a long-term contract. Fernández was previously left out of two games after comments about wanting to live in Madrid, for which he and his agent later apologized. They are also reportedly seeking improved terms at Chelsea.
Real Madrid had previously denied any interest in signing Fernández. Fernández reportedly shares a strong working relationship with Maresca from their time together at Chelsea. Meanwhile, Manchester City has signed Elliot Anderson and remains in negotiations with Lille for Ayyoub Bouaddi. Crystal Palace has confirmed the signing of Takehiro Tomiyasu after a successful trial period, with an initial 12-month deal and an option for a two-year extension. Tomiyasu is the second signing for new manager Pierre Sage, following the arrival of Óscar Mingueza.
Real Madrid has also made several signings, including Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, and Carlos Espí. To pursue Fernández, Real Madrid might need to balance their finances by selling players such as Aurélien Tchouaméni or Eduardo Camavinga.
Jamie Carragher of Sky Sports commented on the situation, suggesting that Manchester City should not sell Rodri for a low fee, stating that he is arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League. He also noted that City paid a substantial amount for Rodri previously. Laura Hunter, also from Sky Sports, described Rodri as the most complete central midfielder in the Premier League over the past five years, highlighting his importance to City’s strategy and control of games.
Rodri was awarded the World Cup Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player last month.
Source: skysports.com
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