Manchester City have accepted a £65.4m bid from Barcelona for their influential midfielder, Rodri. The Spanish international, who captained his country to World Cup victory, is expected to depart the Etihad Stadium to join the LaLiga champions.
This accepted offer follows two previous bids from Barcelona that City had rejected, with an initial offer of £38.4m deemed not serious. Rodri had been reluctant to sign a new deal and was entering the final year of his contract, meaning City risked losing him on a free transfer if he was not sold this summer.
City now face a two-week window to secure a replacement. The club is reportedly interested in Ayyoub Bouaddi, with Lille manager Davide Ancelotti confirming talks regarding the Moroccan midfielder. Enzo Fernandez was also a target, but City did not submit an offer for the Chelsea player by their Friday deadline, with Chelsea valuing him at £120m.
City manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged the importance of such a player after the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, stating, “All teams need a player like Rodri.” Rodri, a club record £61m signing in 2019, scored 28 goals in 298 appearances for City, including the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final. He won 11 trophies with the club, including four Premier League titles, and was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 2024.