Rodri Pushes for Barcelona Move Amidst Manchester City Negotiations
Rodri has made his move. Now the ball sits firmly between Manchester City and Barcelona.
After almost a week since the 30-year-old midfielder gave Barcelona the green light and agreed personal terms, the transfer still isn’t over the line. The Spain international has been waiting for the clubs to close the final gap on a fee. They haven’t. Not yet.
According to SPORT, Rodri has now asked City for special permission to skip training while the two clubs try to iron out the last financial details of the deal.
Holiday over, decision time
Rodri’s holidays officially ended on Thursday. He was due back at City’s training ground on Friday morning. That return date is why Barcelona may have to wait until Monday to finally seal what would be one of the headline signings of the summer.
He was even seen at Madrid airport boarding a flight back to England, a clear sign he knows the schedule and the obligations. But his preference is obvious: he does not want to drop straight back into full training while his future hangs in the balance.
The midfielder would rather stay out of the firing line, avoid unnecessary risk and protect himself as Barça and City try to finish the deal. It’s a stance that underlines how committed he is to the move.
City, though, still hold the contract. If the English champions refuse his request and insist he reports as planned, Rodri is ready to return and train while negotiations continue in the background.
Crucially, the relationship between all three parties remains calm. There is no public tension, no open conflict. Just a high-stakes negotiation edging forward.
Gap narrowing as Barça push
There is still no definitive agreement between Barcelona and Manchester City, but the financial difference is described as increasingly small. Both clubs know where the other stands. Rodri’s position is just as clear.
He wants Barcelona. He is prepared to wait a few more days in the hope that a final agreement is reached, allowing him to fly straight to Catalonia and start working under Hansi Flick without a stop back in full City training.
Barcelona have been here before. Ferran Torres received similar treatment when he was on the verge of joining Paris Saint-Germain, with permission granted to delay his return while talks were completed. Rodri is hoping City show him the same understanding.
Flight to Liverpool, eyes on Manchester
On Thursday evening, Rodri was again spotted at Madrid airport, this time preparing to fly to Liverpool, roughly a 45-minute drive from Manchester. The trip raises a simple, practical possibility: he could be heading back to collect his belongings and be on hand if City call him in.
It also underlines the strange limbo of a player caught between two clubs, one contract and one desire.
For Barcelona supporters, his arrival would be a landmark moment of the summer window. A World Cup-winning midfielder of his profile and pedigree would instantly lift the level of Flick’s team and reshape their spine.
Behind the scenes, Deco now carries the responsibility. The sporting director must close the final gap with Manchester City and turn Rodri’s clear intention into a signed deal.
What City decide in the next hours and days — summon Rodri back into full training or allow him to stay away while talks continue — will be a telling indicator of just how close Barcelona are to landing their new midfield leader.
