Barcelona seals Rodri for €70m and signs Cancelo for free on same day

FC Barcelona will announce two arrivals simultaneously on Monday, two weeks before the Spanish transfer window closes on September 1. Rodri, Spanish international midfielder and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, arrives from Manchester City for a transfer worth around €70 million, according to Mundo Deportivo. He is due to undergo his medical in Barcelona during the day.

João Cancelo accompanies the move, but at a radically different cost: zero euros. The Portuguese full-back terminated his contract with Al-Hilal, which ran until June 2027, and joins the Blaugranas on a free transfer. This is his third spell at the Catalan club, following a loan during the 2023-24 season and an extension of that loan until June during the last winter transfer window. On his social media, Cancelo posted a photo of himself aboard a private jet, captioned “Heading home”, leaving little doubt about the outcome of negotiations.

Barcelona is not finished with its summer transfer business. The Catalan board is also eyeing Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, two attacking recruits who could still join Hansi Flick’s squad before the market closes.