Barcelona have confirmed the signing of midfielder Rodri from Manchester City in a deal worth in the region of £65m.
The Spanish international has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at the Nou Camp, returning to Spanish football for the first time since leaving Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Rodri, 30, spent seven seasons at City, making 298 appearances and winning 12 major honours across all competitions during his time in Manchester.
Those honours included four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League, which City lifted in 2023.
His final two seasons at the Etihad were disrupted by injury, but he returned to his very best form during this summer’s World Cup with Spain.
Rodri was named player of the tournament as Spain lifted the trophy for the second time, cementing his status as one of the world’s finest midfielders.
In a farewell message to City supporters, Rodri said: “I am leaving the club with a huge sense of pride about what we have achieved and gratitude too for so many amazing memories.”
He added: “City didn’t just make me grow as a player. They made me grow as a human. I saw my brother graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University. I could see my girlfriend working for the NHS. Manchester shaped my whole life.”
The move had been complicated by interest from Real Madrid, who were initially considered the most likely destination for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.
However, sources told BBC Sport that Barcelona had secured Rodri’s approval to open negotiations with City before Real Madrid eventually withdrew their interest entirely.
Rodri had been into the final 12 months of a contract he signed with City in 2022, and although the Premier League club sought an extension, talks failed to produce an agreement.
City rejected Barcelona’s opening offer of £38.5m, but the two clubs ultimately reached an agreement for a figure well in excess of that initial approach.
Speaking to Spanish radio in March about the possibility of joining Real Madrid, Rodri had said: “There are more players who have taken that path. Not directly, but over time. You can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.”
On Monday, Rodri flew to Barcelona and told waiting journalists at the airport that it is a “dream” to play for the Catalan club.
