Barcelona’s pursuit of Manchester City midfielder Rodri has reached its most difficult stage, with the Spanish club preparing another proposal after their latest offer was rejected. Manchester City are holding out for a package worth €80m, despite the player having only one year remaining on his contract.
Barcelona’s second bid was worth €60m up front, with a further €10m available in performance-related incentives. Manchester City turned down the offer late on Wednesday, but negotiations remain active and no agreement has been ruled out.
The English club has adopted a firm stance since Rodri reached an agreement with Barcelona over personal terms. Manchester City are insisting on reaching the €80m mark, even if part of that figure is dependent on difficult performance targets.
According to The Times, Manchester City are seeking to improve their financial position in line with financial fair play regulations before attempting to sign Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The club is therefore looking to complete a high-value sale that would help balance its accounts.
Barcelona have now increased their proposal to the maximum level they had been prepared to pay for Rodri. The offer rejected on Wednesday consisted of a €60m guaranteed payment and €10m in potential bonuses, but it failed to convince Manchester City to approve the midfielder’s departure.
Spanish newspaper Sport reports that Barcelona are working on what they regard as their final proposal and will not go beyond the figure being discussed. The club has the support of Rodri, who has asked Manchester City to make it easier for him to leave because he wants to move on from the Premier League.
The player’s influence could prove decisive in the closing stages of the negotiations. Sources close to the talks told Sport that Barcelona’s next offer could include a guaranteed €65m, alongside €10m in variables. Of that additional amount, €5m would be linked to conditions considered relatively easy to achieve, while the remaining €5m would depend on more difficult targets.
Barcelona believe that structure could be enough to persuade Manchester City to accept the transfer. The proposal is expected to be presented in the coming hours, with the aim of reaching an initial agreement and avoiding the need for Rodri to travel to Manchester.
Rodri is due to join up with the English club on Friday, but would prefer to travel directly to Barcelona instead. However, the move is not yet settled, with the final and most challenging phase of the negotiations still to come.
Manchester City have already accepted that Rodri is likely to leave, although their position during the talks has been that they would be willing to retain him for the final year of his contract. That stance is viewed as part of their negotiating strategy rather than a reflection of the club’s actual plans.
Manchester City’s activity in the transfer market points towards preparations for his departure. The club is negotiating for midfielders Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez, who are being considered as potential replacements for the Spain international.
Rodri, meanwhile, is aware of the significant efforts Barcelona are making to sign him. He has shown flexibility over the terms of his contract by giving up some of the financial benefits he previously received.
His decision is motivated by both sporting and personal considerations, and the midfielder is doing everything possible to ensure the transfer goes through. Barcelona believe the negotiations have proved more difficult than expected, but say the gap between the two clubs has narrowed sufficiently for an agreement to be reached at any moment.
