For Manchester City fans, this is probably the transfer story they didn’t want to wake up to.
Rodri could actually be on his way out.
Barcelona have made their move for the Manchester City midfielder, but their opening offer was rejected by City. The bid was reportedly worth around £38.5 million, well below the figure City believe their star midfielder is worth.
And that is where things get interesting.
City aren’t simply saying “Rodri isn’t for sale.” Instead, the feeling is that they want serious money if they’re going to let one of the most important players of the Guardiola era walk away.
Reports suggest City value Rodri at more than £60 million.
Barcelona, meanwhile, clearly aren’t giving up.
Why Does Barcelona Want Rodri So Badly?
It’s actually pretty easy to understand.
Barcelona need help in midfield, especially with Frenkie de Jong dealing with a long-term knee injury. Rodri would give Hansi Flick exactly the type of player most managers dream of having in the middle of the pitch.
He’s calm, physical, intelligent and incredibly difficult to press.
More importantly, he already knows what it takes to play at the highest level.
Rodri has won Premier League titles, the Champions League and major international honours with Spain. He has also spent years playing in possession-heavy systems.
Put him into Barcelona’s midfield and you can immediately see why the idea is so tempting.
The question is whether Barcelona can actually afford him.
City Have a Big Decision to Make
This isn’t just another player leaving at the end of his contract.
Rodri has been one of the foundations of Manchester City’s success.
When he’s fit and playing well, City look like a completely different team. His ability to control the tempo, protect the defence and keep possession is something that isn’t easy to replace.
That’s why selling him for a cut-price fee would make very little sense.
City reportedly want at least £60 million, despite Rodri entering the final year of his contract.
Barcelona’s first offer didn’t come close.
So now the ball is back in Barça’s court.
Do they increase the offer?
Or do they decide that spending £60m-plus on a 30-year-old midfielder isn’t worth the financial risk?
Then There’s Real Madrid…
Just to make things even more interesting, Barcelona aren’t the only Spanish giant interested.
Real Madrid have also been linked with Rodri, although reports indicate their pursuit has stalled while Barcelona have stepped up their efforts.
And apparently, Rodri’s preference could be Barcelona.
If that’s true, Madrid could be watching a player they wanted move to their biggest rival.
That would add another layer to what is already becoming one of the most interesting transfer battles of the summer.
Would City Really Let Him Go?
That’s the million-dollar question.
City have already started preparing for life beyond some of their older stars, and they’ve been active in the transfer market.
But replacing Rodri is a different challenge altogether.
You can spend £70m on another midfielder, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get another Rodri.
That’s the gamble City have to consider.
Keep him for another season and potentially lose him later? Or take the money now and start rebuilding immediately?
Neither option is particularly comfortable.
For Rodri, though, the situation is becoming increasingly interesting.
A return to Spain, playing for Barcelona and becoming the anchor of their midfield would be a huge opportunity. At the same time, leaving Manchester City would mean walking away from a club where he has already established himself as one of the most important players of its modern era.
It’s a massive decision.
And we’re not there yet.
Barcelona’s first bid has been rejected, but the door hasn’t been slammed shut.
If anything, it feels like the opening move.
The next offer could tell us just how serious Barcelona really are.
And if they come back with the kind of money City are asking for, we could be looking at one of the biggest transfers of the summer.
For now, Manchester City still have Rodri.
But Barcelona are knocking.
And judging by everything that’s happening, they aren’t planning to stop after one rejected bid.
