Barcelona Faces Challenges in Rodri Negotiations with Manchester City
Barcelona have run straight into Manchester City’s valuation of Rodri, and for now the door is firmly bolted.
The Catalan club tested City’s resolve with a 50 million euro offer for the midfielder during the current transfer window. It was rejected without a second thought. The message from Manchester was clear: that figure does not even start the conversation.
Reports in Spain say Barça are prepared to raise their bid to 60 million euros for the player widely regarded as the standout performer at the 2026 World Cup. Spanish daily Sport insists that number is on the table, but even that barely moves the needle at the Etihad.
City, who regard Rodri as one of the pillars of their recent dominance and the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, see those numbers as nowhere near his true worth. The Premier League champions value their long-standing relationship with Barcelona, yet not to the extent of selling a cornerstone of their side for what they view as a cut-price fee.
Marca reported on Tuesday that City have fixed their price: 70 million euros for the 30-year-old. Anything below that, and the talks go nowhere. From City’s point of view, the calculation is simple. Letting Rodri leave would trigger a huge spend to replace him, and that cost is already shaping their stance.
The names on their shortlist underline why they are holding out. Morocco international Ayoub Bouaddi of Lyon, whose fee is expected to top 100 million euros – 130 million according to AS – is one of the leading candidates. So is Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández. Neither would come cheap, and City want Rodri’s sale to help fund any move of that scale.
Barcelona, weighed down by financial constraints and wary of another major outlay, have no intention of matching City’s demand as things stand. The gap is not just about 10 million euros; it is about two clubs operating from very different economic realities.
Key Meeting Ahead
A key meeting now looms. Hugo Viana and Deco, the sporting directors of Manchester City and Barcelona, are expected to sit down soon in an attempt to find common ground. For Barça, that summit feels crucial. For City, it is an opportunity to restate their position face to face.
Barcelona had quietly hoped Rodri would already be preparing for a different pre-season, with plans pencilled in for him to report back on Wednesday in their colours. That scenario now looks optimistic at best.
Instead, the expectation is that Rodri will return to Manchester to resume training with City, unless Barcelona can somehow drive down the asking price and close the gap in the coming hours.
Right now, all the leverage sits in Manchester.
