Barcelona's Third Bid for Rodri Approaches €80 Million
Barcelona have pushed a third time for Rodri, tabling an offer worth around €70million (£60m), but Manchester City are still holding out for more as one of the summer’s most seismic moves edges closer.
The 30-year-old midfielder is into the final year of his deal at the Etihad, five years on from his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2019. In that time he has grown from a marquee signing into a cornerstone of a dynasty – four Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups and, crowning it all, the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Now, with Pep Guardiola gone at the end of last season, the prospect of City losing their on‑field general in the same window has become very real.
Barcelona close in – but not quite there
Barcelona’s pursuit has been relentless. Earlier this month they opened with a bid of £38.5m for the Spain star, fresh from helping his country win the World Cup this summer. City dismissed that first attempt without hesitation.
The Catalan club came back again. A second proposal, worth around €60m (£51m), also fell short and was rejected, with City making it clear they would not be rushed or lowballed for a player of Rodri’s stature.
The latest bid, around €70m, finally feels like it has landed in the right postcode. City sources have indicated they now expect a deal to be wrapped up in the coming days, but only if the overall package – including bonuses and add-ons – climbs to about €80m (£68m).
Barcelona’s new offer, with performance-related extras attached, is understood to have narrowed that gap significantly. The two clubs are now working in the same financial neighbourhood, and confidence is growing on all sides that an agreement will be struck.
Rodri’s camp steps into the spotlight
City set their own deadline earlier in the window. As revealed earlier this month, they told Rodri he had to report back to England if no deal with Barcelona was in place before pre-season began.
That line in the sand held. With negotiations still ongoing, the midfielder returned to Manchester and resumed duties while his future continued to be thrashed out in meeting rooms rather than on the pitch.
Behind the scenes, City also made their stance clear to Rodri’s representatives: if he truly wanted the move, they needed to help Barcelona bridge the financial gap. No passive observers. Active participants.
That is exactly what has happened. Rodri’s camp has become heavily involved, effectively working in tandem with Barcelona to construct a package that can satisfy City’s demands without blowing apart the Catalans’ budget.
The player’s position has not shifted. He remains determined to make the switch to Camp Nou, and that desire is driving the late‑window push to get the numbers right.
A giant on the brink
Barcelona’s third proposal marks another firm step towards City’s €80m valuation. The expectation inside the talks is that further negotiations in the coming days will iron out the remaining differences and finally unlock one of the summer’s defining transfers.
For now, Rodri is still a Manchester City player, still training in sky blue, still the metronome of a team in transition after Guardiola’s exit.
But with every revised offer, every late‑night call, the distance between Manchester and Barcelona feels smaller.
If City finally blink, the heart of their midfield will be walking out of the Etihad and into Camp Nou. The only question left is how long they can hold their nerve.
