Barcelona's third Rodri bid reaches €70m as City hold out for €80m

Barcelona have returned to Manchester City with a third offer for Rodri, this time worth approximately €70 million, as the Spanish club push to close a deal that has so far been blocked by a valuation gap, according to Sportingpedia.

The two previous proposals — worth €50 million and then €60 million — were both rejected by City, who are reported to be seeking €80 million for the Spain international. The latest bid sits roughly halfway between the two positions, though it remains unclear whether the figure includes performance-related bonuses.

Transfer insider Ben Jacobs, cited by Get Spanish Football News, described the package under discussion as worth more than £60 million and said Barcelona were optimistic about completing a deal. Rodri returned to Great Britain from a holiday in Madrid and is scheduled to resume training with City, though that may not occur if the clubs reach an agreement quickly.

Manchester City have yet to formally accept Barcelona’s improved terms, and the transfer cannot be considered complete until a full agreement is in place.

Ferran Torres sale funds incoming business

Barcelona have also agreed to sell Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain for €50 million, with Sportingpedia reporting that the fee is expected to be reinvested immediately as the club continue to pursue incoming signings.

Cancelo return complicated by Al-Hilal price hike

On a separate front, Barcelona’s negotiations to bring Joao Cancelo back from Al-Hilal have hit an obstacle. The clubs had appeared close to a deal worth around €10 million, but Saudi outlet Al Yaum reported that Al-Hilal have since raised their asking price to €15 million.

The shift followed Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi’s decision to omit Cancelo from the squad for the club’s league opener. Sportingpedia reported that Inzaghi does not appear to count on the Portuguese defender and does not consider him physically ready to compete, despite Cancelo having trained with his team-mates for a week.

Cancelo has continued to post images of himself in Barcelona colours on social media, signalling his desire to return. Al-Hilal’s revised valuation now leaves Barcelona to decide whether to meet the increased demand or risk the deal falling through in the closing days of the transfer window.