Manchester City have accepted a £65.4 million bid from Barcelona for Spain midfielder Rodri, bringing an end to the 30-year-old’s highly successful seven-year spell at the Etihad.
Rodri is expected to undergo his medical before completing a move to the Catalan giants, where he has agreed a four-year contract.
The World Cup winner and 2024 Ballon d’Or holder joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and went on to make 298 appearances for the club, winning 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, three League Cups, two FA Cups and the Champions League.
Barcelona initially saw offers of around £40 million and £55 million rejected before returning with a third proposal that City ultimately accepted. Rodri had entered the final year of his contract, a factor that influenced City’s decision to sanction the transfer despite their desire to retain him.
The timing of the departure presents a major challenge for new City manager Enzo Maresca.
Rodri missed Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal after recently returning to training following minor back surgery. City subsequently suffered a 3-0 defeat, with the result exposing concerns over the balance and control of the midfield.
Maresca had previously stressed Rodri’s importance to the team, acknowledging that every top side needs a player of his quality.
City have already begun planning for life without the midfielder. The club broke the British transfer record this summer by signing Elliot Anderson for £116 million and are also considering further midfield reinforcements.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, whose valuation is reported at £120 million, has been linked with a move to City, while Lille youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi is another target.
The scale of the potential rebuild under Maresca was highlighted by the Community Shield defeat. Arsenal controlled large periods of the game and exposed weaknesses in a City midfield that lacked Rodri’s usual influence.
Maresca now faces the difficult task of developing a new midfield structure while maintaining City’s ability to control possession and dictate the tempo of matches.
Rodri’s departure also represents the end of an era for a player who became one of the defining figures of City’s recent dominance. His Champions League-winning goal against Inter Milan in 2023 was one of the defining moments of his career at the club, while his consistency in midfield made him central to City’s success.
For Barcelona, the deal represents the return of a world-class Spanish midfielder to La Liga.
For Manchester City, however, the transfer leaves Maresca with one of the biggest tactical challenges of his early reign: finding a way to replace a player whose influence extended far beyond simply playing in front of the defence.
With the Premier League season approaching, City’s response to Rodri’s departure could prove crucial to their hopes of challenging for major honours under their new manager.
