Barcelona and Manchester City appear to have agreed a deal for Rodri worth around €76.5m (£65.3m), with only the last formal steps still to come. The midfielder would still need to complete a medical, sign the paperwork and finalise the details before the move can be treated as official.
- Barcelona and Manchester City appear to have agreed a deal for Rodri.
- The package could be worth about €76.5m, with €60m fixed and the rest tied to add-ons and bonuses.
- Rodri is expected to head for a medical before a move that would reshape Barcelona’s midfield and leave Manchester City with a major decision to make.
Rodri’s Current Situation
Rodri’s move to Barcelona looks close, but it is not yet a completed signing. Neither club has publicly confirmed the move at this stage, and a medical, the paperwork, a contract signing and a presentation still stand between an agreement and official completion.
Rodri had returned to City’s training ground on the Friday before the Community Shield after minor back surgery, then missed the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. City were still treating him as part of the squad only days ago.
He remained active at the elite level for Manchester City and Spain, making 21 Premier League appearances and logging 1,511 league minutes in the 2025 season, while also featuring throughout Spain’s 2026 World Cup run.
How Barcelona Made the Deal Work
Barcelona seem to have reached an agreement with a third offer that met Manchester City’s terms in a structure the Catalan club could manage. The overall package could be around €76.5m, with €60m fixed, roughly €6m in achievable add-ons and a further €10m in more difficult bonuses.
The package appears to be designed to spread the cost over time rather than force Barcelona to cover the full figure immediately, which helps explain how they could push through a move for a player viewed as a priority midfield addition.
With Frenkie de Jong facing a long-term injury issue, bringing in an established midfielder from Manchester City would amount to a statement signing if the final formalities are completed.
Manchester City’s Midfield Challenge
If Rodri does complete the move, his departure would leave a huge gap at the base of midfield, and the 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal only sharpened that concern after City struggled to control the centre of the pitch.
City may now turn to several potential midfield solutions, though none should be treated as anything more advanced than initial interest for now. Ayyoub Bouaddi stands out as the clearest option as a deep-lying organiser who could complement Elliot Anderson’s more box-to-box profile, while Alex Scott, Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernández also remain possible targets.
Rodri’s Next Steps and Barcelona Prospects
Rodri is expected to travel to Barcelona for a medical, complete the remaining paperwork and then sign a contract that will reportedly run until 2030.
Barcelona may even be able to present him as early as Wednesday.
For City, the move would accelerate planning for life without one of the central figures in their recent midfield setup. For Barcelona, it would be a major signing if the final details fall into place.
