Barcelona are closing in on a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri for a fee of around €75 million ($87 million), according to reports.
A Barcelona source said a statement confirming the move would be issued in the coming days. Rodri had earlier been linked with a move to Real Madrid following Spain’s World Cup triumph in July, but Barcelona pushed hard to secure the 30-year-old, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
The Ballon d’Or winner has dealt with injury setbacks over the past two seasons but played a central role as Spain won their second World Cup. Barcelona’s move was accelerated by the news that Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong will be out for several months with an injury.
Rodri, Spain’s captain, helped Pep Guardiola’s City win the 2023 Champions League and four Premier League titles among 12 major trophies during his time at the club.
Barcelona had two earlier bids for Rodri turned down before reaching an agreement with City on Sunday. He follows Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu in joining Camp Nou this summer. The club are also expected to complete a permanent deal for Joao Cancelo, who they loaned from Al Hilal last season.
