Barcelona Intensifies Pursuit of Rodri and Álvarez as Deadline Approaches
Barcelona are staring at the final stretch of the summer window with tunnel vision. Two names dominate every conversation at the club: Rodri and Julian Alvarez. And, according to Mundo Deportivo, the belief inside the Camp Nou offices is unwavering – both deals can still be done before the market shuts.
No contingency plans. No backup lists. With just over two weeks left, Barcelona are not actively exploring alternatives for either position. All their energy is channelled into these two operations.
Rodri deal enters decisive phase
Of the two pursuits, Rodri’s potential move is the one gathering more momentum.
Barcelona’s optimism rests on a simple pillar: the midfielder’s desire to join Hansi Flick’s project. Rodri has already reported back to Manchester City after his summer break, but in Catalonia there is still a firm conviction that his mind is set on a change of scenery.
The problem is the numbers.
City want a package worth around €80 million. Barcelona know their second offer fell short and will have to be improved, but they are not prepared to meet that figure outright. Instead, the plan is to push the overall value up through bonuses and add-ons, edging the total closer to €70m while keeping the fixed fee under tighter control.
City have already rejected previous approaches and are waiting for that improved proposal. The player’s future, though, remains open enough for Barcelona to believe a breakthrough is close. Inside the club, the expectation – as reported by Mundo Deportivo – is that the Rodri operation will be resolved no later than next week.
If that confidence proves justified, Flick would receive the midfield cornerstone his system is crying out for.
Álvarez, Simeone and a transfer tug-of-war
Julian Alvarez is a different story. Same determination from Barcelona, far more resistance from across the table.
Atletico Madrid have drawn a hard line over the Argentine forward, making this a far more complex negotiation than the Rodri deal. The stance from the Metropolitano has been consistent: they do not want to lose him.
Barcelona, though, are clinging to one crucial factor – Alvarez’s own will. The 26-year-old has not given up on the idea of pulling on the Blaugrana shirt and is expected to keep pushing for an exit in the coming days as he searches for a route from Atletico to Camp Nou.
He has already tried to bring Diego Simeone into the equation, hoping the coach might help ease his departure. That attempt has not produced the outcome he wanted, but it has not cooled his ambition to join Barcelona.
Right now, the player’s leverage is at the heart of the operation. Atletico’s position is firm, maybe even entrenched, yet Barcelona are effectively betting that sustained pressure from Alvarez can bend the negotiations in their favour.
Two weeks left. One club all-in on two players. The question now is simple: will desire – from Rodri and Alvarez – be enough to crack Manchester City and Atletico Madrid before the window slams shut?
