Barcelona's Bold Pursuit of Rodri from Manchester City
Barcelona have moved aggressively in their pursuit of Rodri, with multiple reports in Spain and England suggesting the club are ready to make one of the boldest financial bets of the Hansi Flick era.
According to Diario AS, relayed by Barca Universal, Barça are prepared to pay around €60 million to Manchester City for the Spain international and hand him a four-year deal worth roughly €30 million gross per season. That salary level would immediately place Rodri among the highest earners at the club.
Second bid raises the stakes
Yahoo Sports reported that Barcelona have already returned to City with a second offer after seeing an initial €45 million bid turned down, with English reports indicating that figure fell well short of City's valuation.
The new proposal is said to be €60 million plus add-ons, structured with bonuses to narrow the gap to City’s asking price of around €80 million. The improved bid underlines just how determined Barcelona are to land the 30-year-old midfielder, a mainstay for both City and Spain.
Negotiations between the clubs are ongoing, with Yahoo Sports adding that Barcelona are pushing to strike a deal this week so Rodri can join Flick’s squad and start training as quickly as possible.
Rodri’s reported choice
The tug-of-war has not just been financial. It has also been strategic, and deeply personal.
AS reports that Rodri has informed Real Madrid of his decision to join Barcelona, despite interest from the Bernabéu. The same report states that he favours Barcelona’s playing style, feels at ease with several players in the dressing room through his time with the Spain national team, and appreciates the footballing philosophy at the club, one that traces a clear line back to Pep Guardiola.
Those factors have reportedly pushed Barcelona ahead of Real Madrid in the race for the Manchester City star, with Barca Universal also describing the Catalans as being in front of their rivals in recent days.
A huge financial bet under Flick
If the deal lands on the terms being reported, it would mark one of Barcelona’s most significant financial commitments since Hansi Flick took over.
A €60 million transfer fee combined with a four-year contract at around €30 million gross per season would not only reshape the wage structure but also signal how central Rodri is to the club’s sporting project. Barca Universal notes that the scale of the package would rank among the biggest outlays of the Flick era so far.
Robert Lewandowski had been one of the club’s top earners until his contract expired at the end of last season and he departed. Rodri, on the reported salary, would effectively step into that financial bracket, becoming one of the new pillars of the dressing room both on the pitch and on the payroll.
Closing the gap with City
Barcelona’s challenge now is to convince Manchester City to sign off.
City’s stance has been clear: they value Rodri at around €80 million. Barcelona’s latest €60 million offer plus add-ons is designed to bridge that gap without breaking their own financial structure, with bonuses likely linked to performance and team achievements.
The coming days will test just how far Barcelona are willing to stretch, and how strongly Rodri’s reported preference weighs on City’s decision. If the Catalan club manage to land the Spain international on these terms, they will not only secure a world-class midfielder, they will also send a sharp message about the direction of the Flick project at Camp Nou.
