Manchester City have turned down an opening £38.5m offer from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri, but the Premier League club are willing to consider selling the Spain international for more than £60m.
The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his contract at Etihad Stadium and has not agreed a new deal, prompting growing uncertainty over his future this summer.
Barcelona made their initial proposal on Friday after sources told BBC Sport that the La Liga club had received Rodri’s approval to begin discussions with Manchester City. The Catalan club had previously stressed that there was no guarantee an agreement would be reached, although the situation now appears to be progressing.
Barcelona said on Friday that they remained in talks with the player’s representatives before submitting their opening bid.
BBC sources say negotiations between Rodri and Real Madrid have now ended. Real Madrid had appeared to be the midfielder’s most likely destination, but Barcelona are now leading the race to sign him.
Manchester City are keen to resolve the situation quickly, with the transfer window moving towards its second week in August. Should Rodri leave, the club would need to secure a replacement.
City are continuing discussions over a possible deal for 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. However, Lille’s £86m valuation is currently proving a major obstacle.
Rodri’s recent fitness record is also likely to be a consideration. He missed a substantial part of the 2024-25 campaign after suffering a serious knee injury, while a hamstring problem disrupted sections of last season.
Despite those setbacks, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner returned to his best form at the World Cup in the summer. He helped Spain win their second title and was named player of the tournament.
Rodri is currently recovering from back surgery carried out last month. He is expected to rejoin his Manchester City team-mates in Manchester early next week.
Real Madrid talks brought to an end
According to Spanish radio network Cadena Ser, which spoke directly to Rodri’s agent Pablo Barquero, Real Madrid made the midfielder an “irresistible” offer shortly after Spain’s World Cup victory.
Discussions began only a few days after the tournament. Rodri’s representatives reportedly appreciated the courtesy, class and respect shown by Real Madrid throughout the negotiations.
Cadena Ser reported that everyone involved at the club, including president Florentino Perez and chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez, worked to try to complete the transfer and demonstrated how seriously they wanted to sign Rodri.
The report said Real Madrid had made every effort to finalise the move. However, despite positive talks over the previous two weeks, Rodri personally decided to accept another offer.
Real Madrid were informed of that decision on Friday and opted to end the process rather than allow uncertainty to continue. They also thanked Rodri for the respectful manner in which the negotiations had been conducted.
Barcelona’s bid is the first formal offer reported since the club emerged as the leading contender for the midfielder. Manchester City’s valuation, however, remains significantly higher than the proposal submitted by the Spanish club.
