Barcelona seal £65m Rodri signing as Manchester City accept final bid

Barcelona have agreed a £65.4m fee with Manchester City for midfielder Rodri, bringing an end to the Spaniard’s seven-year spell at the Etihad Stadium. City had rejected two earlier bids before accepting a total package that meets their benchmark of over £60m.

The deal closes a chapter that saw Rodri establish himself as arguably the best midfielder in world football. He won the Ballon d’Or and was central to City’s sustained dominance before a serious knee injury sustained in September 2024 sidelined him for the best part of two seasons. He returned in May 2025, contributed to City winning two trophies last season, and then captained Spain to World Cup glory in the summer — a run of form that appeared to cement his standing as irreplaceable.

Despite that, City were unable to persuade the 30-year-old to extend his contract beyond its final year, and Barcelona moved quickly over the past fortnight to secure his signature once it became clear he would not commit to a renewal.

Rodri had returned to the City Football Academy on Friday with no agreement in place, but his absence from the squad that travelled to the Community Shield — a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday — signalled that a departure was imminent. City sources noted that even when not fully fit last season, Rodri had made a point of attending matches to support his teammates.

City are already working to replace him. A deal for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is advancing, while interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez persists despite a deadline set by the west London club passing without an agreement.

City head coach Enzo Maresca acknowledged the urgency of completing further business before the window closes, with the Premier League season beginning in a week.

“Any new signing, the sooner they arrive the better because we are starting the Premier League in one week and if they start to work with us as soon as possible it’s better that they can also understand the way we want to play,” Maresca said.

“We knew already before the game of the things that we need to do. It’s not because we lost the game or even if we had won the game to think differently. We are quite clear in what we need to do and for sure we are going to do something before the window closes.”