Barcelona have offered Manchester City around €45 million plus add-ons for Rodri, well short of the roughly €80 million City are believed to want before sanctioning his exit, according to The Athletic.
City regard Barcelona’s current offer as nowhere near enough to open serious talks, and insist no meaningful club-to-club negotiations are yet under way.
Rodri is said to prefer a switch to Camp Nou over any other destination, drawn by the club’s style of play and a dressing room already containing eight of Spain’s 2026 World Cup winners.
That interest followed an earlier report revealing Real Madrid had been working on their own deal, believing an agreement could be reached.
Rodri’s City contract runs out in 2027, and he has shown little appetite to extend it. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was central to Spain’s World Cup triumph this summer, picking up the Golden Ball after the final win over Argentina, and has since undergone minor back surgery, with a return expected before the end of August.
He spoke during the April international break about wanting to finish his career back in Spain, while also acknowledging the pull of representing Madrid.
Barcelona’s pursuit comes with Frenkie de Jong sidelined for the start of the season through a knee ligament injury. The club have already brought in wingers Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi this summer and remain in the market for a striker, with Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez a target following Robert Lewandowski’s departure.
City, meanwhile, are undergoing their own transformation following Pep Guardiola’s exit after a decade in charge, alongside the departures of Bernardo Silva and John Stones.
They have already added Elliot Anderson for £116 million and are pushing for a deal for 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Rodri has made 298 appearances for City since 2019, scoring 28 goals and winning four Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and three League Cups.
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