Manchester City Reject Barcelona's Bid for Rodri: Transfer Saga Intensifies
Manchester City have turned down Barcelona’s first move for Rodri, rejecting a £38.5m offer as the European champions dig in over the price of one of their most influential players.
City are prepared to sell the 30-year-old, but not on the cheap. The message from the Etihad is clear: anyone wanting the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner will have to come close to, or beyond, the £60m mark.
Rodri is entering the final year of his contract and has yet to agree fresh terms. That ticking clock has fuelled months of speculation over his future, with Real Madrid long seen as the most likely escape route from Manchester. Not anymore.
Barcelona move to the front of the queue
The picture shifted sharply this week. On Thursday, sources told BBC Sport that Barcelona had secured Rodri’s approval to open negotiations with City. By Friday, that interest hardened into a formal offer.
City said no. But the door is open.
Inside Barcelona, the mood has changed from cautious to quietly optimistic. Club sources had initially stressed there were no guarantees a deal could be done. Now, with talks described as “developing” and conversations ongoing with the player’s representatives, there is a growing sense that this is a live, serious pursuit rather than a speculative enquiry.
The Catalans have made their opening move. City have named their price bracket. The gap is significant, but not insurmountable for a club that clearly sees Rodri as a cornerstone signing.
Real Madrid step away
If this becomes a straight fight, Barcelona are suddenly shadowboxing. Real Madrid have stepped aside.
According to BBC sources, talks between Real and Rodri’s camp have now ended. Spanish radio network Cadena Ser, who spoke directly to Rodri’s agent Pablo Barquero, report that Real Madrid made what was described as an “irresistible” offer shortly after Spain’s World Cup triumph.
Negotiations began within days of Rodri lifting the trophy and the Golden Ball. His camp, the report says, were struck by the courtesy and respect shown throughout by the club hierarchy. From president Florentino Perez to chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez, Real threw their weight behind the deal and made it clear they were serious about building their midfield around him.
They pushed. Hard. Everything was put on the table to get it done.
Yet after two weeks of positive dialogue, Rodri chose another path. Cadena Ser report that the midfielder made a personal decision to accept a different offer, with Real informed on Friday. The club then opted to walk away, ending the process to avoid dragging out uncertainty, while thanking the player for the way he handled the talks.
That decision leaves Barcelona in pole position, with City holding the leverage on price.
A champion at a crossroads
Rodri’s situation is as complex as it is high profile.
The midfielder missed much of the 2024-25 campaign with a serious knee injury, and parts of the previous season were disrupted by a hamstring problem. For most players, that sequence would raise doubts. For Rodri, it became a pause before a statement.
At the World Cup in the summer, he returned at full tilt. He drove Spain to their second world title, dictated games from deep, and walked away as player of the tournament. The Ballon d'Or followed, confirmation of his status as the outstanding midfielder of his generation.
Now he finds himself in limbo. He is currently sidelined again after back surgery last month and is due to rejoin his City team-mates in Manchester early next week. When he walks back into the training ground, he will do so with his future still unresolved and two of Europe’s giants circling.
City’s dilemma and the Bouaddi question
For City, the calendar is starting to bite. As the transfer window heads into its second week of August, the champions know they cannot allow Rodri’s saga to drift. Lose him late in the window and even their recruitment machine will struggle to find a like-for-like replacement.
Work has already started. Talks are under way to sign 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. The teenager is highly regarded, but Lille’s £86m valuation remains a major obstacle and City are reluctant to be drawn into a bidding war at that level for a player still at the start of his career.
So the equation is stark. Cash in on Rodri now, bank a substantial fee, and move aggressively for a successor? Or hold him for one last season, risk losing him for far less – or nothing – and trust that his influence on the pitch outweighs the financial hit?
Barcelona have made their move. Real Madrid have stepped aside. Manchester City hold the contract and the price tag.
The next decision belongs to Rodri – and it may reshape the balance of power in European midfield battles for years to come.
