Barcelona have submitted an improved transfer offer of approximately €60m (£51m) to Manchester City for midfielder Rodri, according to The Guardian. The formal bid follows an earlier rejected proposal of €45m and places the Spanish club close to Manchester City’s valuation for the 30-year-old player.
Transfer Negotiations and Valuation Gaps
According to BBC Sport, Manchester City initially rejected an opening offer of £38.5m from Barcelona. While Manchester City are open to selling the Spain international, club executives demand a fee exceeding £60m. Rodri has entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium without signing an extension, prompting intense speculation regarding his future during the summer transfer window.
Reporting from The Guardian indicates that Barcelona’s revised offer around €60m (£51m) may include add-ons to bridge the valuation gap. Sources close to the player confirmed that Rodri has expressed a clear preference for a move to Camp Nou, effectively ending previous speculation linking him to Real Madrid.
Manchester City Contingency Plans
In anticipation of Rodri’s departure, Manchester City have identified Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández as a primary target, according to The Guardian. However, negotiations could prove complex, as Chelsea value their captain at approximately £120m. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca previously worked with Fernández for a season and a half, raising interest in a potential reunion.
Manchester City have already been active in the current transfer window, having recruited Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m, alongside ongoing discussions to secure 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for roughly £85m, as reported by The Guardian and BBC Sport. Should Fernández arrive at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City could potentially offload another midfielder, with Tijjani Reijnders identified as a candidate for departure.
Player Status and Recovery
Rodri’s immediate availability remains impacted by injury recovery. According to BBC Sport, the midfielder missed significant portions of the 2024-25 campaign due to a serious knee injury and subsequent hamstring issues. Despite these setbacks, he captained Spain to victory at the World Cup, earning player of the tournament honors, before undergoing back surgery last month. He is scheduled to report back to Manchester City for training early next week.
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