Rodri Agrees To Join Barcelona

Rodri has agreed personal terms to leave Manchester City and join Barcelona after a long pursuit, with his Premier League club giving the nod. 

Rodri has one season remaining on his contract with Manchester City, and he has made his intention to leave known to the club, declining a contract extension. The Spanish player led his national team to win the just-completed 2026 FIFA World Cup in America, and he received the Golden Ball for his performance at the competition. 

The deal agreed between the player and Barcelona is reportedly a four-year contract worth £65 million. Initially, Barcelona submitted a £38.5 million bid for the player, which Manchester City declined.  Apparently, both clubs are now on the same page after an agreement was reached. 

 He received the Men's Ballon d'Or for the first time in 2024 as a Manchester City player: the club he joined in 2019 from Atletico Madrid in a club-record transfer of £62.8 million. His spell at Manchester City was well-decorated with trophies; nevertheless, he battled a hamstring injury in the latter part of his spell at Etihad Stadium. 

In terms of goals, the defensive midfielder fairly contributed his share, scoring 28 goals in 298 appearances across competitions. However, Manchester City are on the lookout for his replacement. They are understood to have linked up with Lille's youngster, Ayyoub Bouaddi, as the replacement. 

Ayyoub has verbally agreed terms with Manchester City, and the Ligue side is reportedly keen on letting go of the teenager. Previously, Liverpool were understood to be strongly linked with Ayyoub before Manchester City edged them to secure a verbal agreement with the player.