Barcelona are trying to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri for a second time, having first explored a deal for the Spain international in 2017 when he was beginning to establish himself at Villarreal.
The latest approach comes as Rodri has returned to the centre of the transfer market. Barcelona have entered negotiations for the 29-year-old after he appeared, only hours earlier, to be edging closer to a move to their Spanish rivals Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s interest is partly driven by the prolonged absence of Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who is recovering from injury. The Catalan club are seeking midfield reinforcements and see Rodri as a potential solution.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona identified Rodri as a possible long-term successor to Sergio Busquets when the midfielder was 21. However, the club acted too late in December 2017, by which point Rodri had already made significant progress towards returning to Atletico de Madrid.
Rodri had come through Atletico de Madrid’s youth system before moving to Villarreal, where his performances for the club and Spain Under-21s began to attract widespread attention. Barcelona had been monitoring his development for some time and viewed him as a player capable of eventually filling the role occupied by Busquets.
The club then began making enquiries about the possibility of signing him. By the time those discussions became serious, however, Rodri had given his initial approval to a return to Atletico de Madrid. That transfer was not officially announced until May 2018.
Before leaving Villarreal, Rodri extended his contract until June 2022. The new agreement increased his release clause from 12m euros to 25m euros.
Mundo Deportivo reported that Villarreal raised the clause because they were aware of growing interest from a number of clubs, including Barcelona. The change gave the club a better opportunity to secure a significant fee when Rodri eventually moved on.
Rodri ultimately joined Atletico de Madrid for 25m euros, with 20m euros paid as a fixed fee and a further 5m euros available through bonuses and other performance-related clauses.
His stay in Madrid lasted only one season. In the summer of 2019, Manchester City paid the 70m-euro release clause in his Atletico contract and took him to the Premier League.
Rodri has since become one of Manchester City’s most important players. He reached the peak of his career in 2024, winning the Ballon d’Or and helping Spain claim the European Championship.
One year remains on his Manchester City contract, while Barcelona are now attempting to complete a deal after Rodri had appeared close to joining Real Madrid. The renewed negotiations have also intensified debate over whether the player will choose Barcelona or their rivals.
If Barcelona succeed, the move would bring an end to a story that began almost nine years ago. The club would finally sign the midfielder they once identified as Sergio Busquets’ successor, after missing their opportunity to act before he committed himself to Atletico de Madrid.
