Barcelona have agreed a deal worth around £65m to sign Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City, with a four-year contract set to be signed in the coming days.
The 30-year-old Ballon d’Or winner joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club record £62.8m, going on to make 298 appearances across seven seasons at the Etihad.
Rodri departs having collected 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups, and the Champions League in 2022-23.
His time at City was not without setbacks, with a serious knee injury disrupting much of the 2024-25 campaign and a hamstring problem causing further disruption last season.
However, Rodri returned to his very best form at the World Cup this summer, leading Spain to their second tournament title and being named player of the tournament.
City had rejected Barcelona’s opening offer of £38.5m last week before the two clubs reached an agreement, with Real Madrid having previously looked the more likely destination.
New City boss Enzo Maresca acknowledged the scale of the loss after Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, saying: “Rodri is a player who just won the World Cup and Ballon d’Or. He’s a top player, all the teams need a Rodri, so it’s not about if we miss Rodri or not.”
Eighteen-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad all summer, with City reportedly holding talks and the player believed to be keen on the switch.
Bouaddi, who would cost an estimated £85m, made a name for himself with a starring role in Lille’s Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024 before impressing at this summer’s World Cup.
He functions as a deep-lying conductor much in the same mould as Rodri, and would complement summer signing Elliot Anderson, who brings a more box-to-box style to City’s midfield.
City’s interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez remains alive despite no bid being submitted before the Blues’ Friday deadline, with City still understood to believe Chelsea want to complete a deal.
Chelsea had valued the 25-year-old Argentine at £120m and set a 17:00 BST Friday deadline for offers, though no bids were received and Xabi Alonso’s side currently hope to retain their vice-captain.
Maresca knows Fernandez well from his time at Stamford Bridge, where he played the midfielder in 79 of his 92 games in charge, including further forward when Cole Palmer was injured, contributing to a career-best 15 goals.
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is another name City have explored, with the 22-year-old England international having rejected contract offers from the Cherries despite his current deal running until 2028.
Bournemouth rejected a £64m bid from Chelsea for Scott last month and have knocked back advances from Arsenal, making clear that further approaches would not be welcomed.
Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister also interests Maresca, with the Argentine entering the final two years of his contract at Anfield after a troublesome 2025-26 campaign for the Reds.
As a Premier League winner with top-flight experience, Mac Allister would offer City a ready-made option to slot into the heart of their midfield immediately.
With Anderson already through the door and multiple targets still in play, Maresca has options to reshape his midfield, though replacing Rodri’s unique qualities remains an enormous challenge.
