Barcelona makes offer for Rodri as Manchester City...

By Rohan Gupta — 7 August 2026 — 4 min read

Barcelona has submitted an offer of approximately €45 million plus add-ons to Manchester City for midfielder Rodri. However, Manchester City views this amount as significantly below the figure required to initiate negotiations for a potential transfer. The English club has indicated that no substantial club-to-club discussions are currently taking place, as they await a more serious bid.

Reports suggest that Rodri, whose contract with Manchester City is set to expire in 2027, has shown little inclination to extend his current terms. The midfielder is said to prefer a move to Camp Nou over other clubs, finding Barcelona’s project appealing due to their style of play and a squad that includes several members of Spain’s 2026 World Cup-winning team. This interest from Barcelona follows earlier reports from July 24 that Real Madrid was also working on a deal for Rodri and had been confident of reaching an agreement.

Barcelona’s Strategic Pursuit

Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, reportedly played a key role in the club’s pursuit of Rodri. Following a short break in Croatia, Deco returned to Barcelona instead of directly joining the team’s pre-season training camp in England. During this time, he held a significant meeting regarding a transfer file described by the club’s management as strategic. This meeting followed initial contacts Deco had made with Rodri’s representatives to understand the terms of a potential deal.

According to details, Barcelona requested all parties involved to maintain strict secrecy to prevent any leaks that could disrupt negotiations, especially given the competition with Real Madrid. A direct meeting between Rodri and Deco took place in Catalonia, where Rodri was attending a wedding. The meeting, which lasted around two and a half hours at a luxury hotel, saw Deco outline Barcelona’s sporting project, Rodri’s potential role, and Hansi Flick’s technical vision for the team’s midfield.

This meeting reportedly shifted Rodri’s position significantly. While Real Madrid had been considered the frontrunner, Rodri had not given his final approval to their offer before meeting with Deco. Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s coach, also engaged directly with Rodri through several calls, explaining his technical vision and the leadership role he envisioned for the midfielder within the team. Club officials believed direct communication between the coach and player was crucial, particularly with Real Madrid’s strong interest.

An influential, though unpublicized, role was also played by Dani Codina, Barcelona’s head of player services. His previous relationship with Rodri during their time at Manchester City helped foster trust during the talks. Codina reportedly assisted in arranging the secret meeting between Rodri and Deco, strengthening the player’s connection to the Catalan project.

Rodri’s Background and City’s Situation

Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019. During his tenure, he has accumulated several titles, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups, and the Champions League. He has made 298 appearances for the club, scoring 28 goals and providing 32 assists. He was also instrumental in Spain’s 2026 World Cup victory and received the Golden Ball award after the final against Argentina.

Following the World Cup, Rodri underwent minor back surgery but is anticipated to return before the end of August. He previously expressed a desire to return to Spain and play in La Liga again before the end of his career. Manchester City has experienced significant changes this summer, with Pep Guardiola departing after a decade and long-serving players Bernardo Silva and John Stones also leaving. The club has strengthened its midfield with the £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and is reportedly pursuing Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.

Barcelona’s interest in Rodri also comes as the club will be without midfielder Frenkie de Jong for the start of the 2026-27 season due to a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Barcelona has already signed wingers Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United and Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund this summer, and is still targeting a new striker following Robert Lewandowski’s departure, with Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez being pursued. The awaited moment came last Thursday, when Barcelona received confirmation that their project had won Rodri over, and negotiations had advanced.