Barcelona and Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Rodri, ONE reports, citing Spanish journalist Fernando Polo, with the clubs said to have struck a verbal deal that leaves only formal documentation and signatures to be completed in the coming days.
It is the resolution of a saga that has run through most of August. Barcelona had gone back to City with a series of improving bids after their opening approach was dismissed as too low, and the two sides are now reported to have finally bridged the gap on both fee and structure.
The exact numbers still vary by outlet. ESPN and Haaretz both put the total package at around €76.5 million, while El Español described it as approximately €75 million in fixed payments plus variables. Other Spanish reporting in recent days has floated a lower base fee closer to €60 million with at least €10 million in add-ons — the kind of discrepancy typical of a deal still being finalised rather than officially announced.
Rodri, 30, had already made his preference clear to Manchester City's hierarchy, formally notifying the club of his wish to leave for Barcelona. ONE reports that Barcelona secured the player's personal consent to the move roughly two weeks ago and spent the intervening period working to meet City's financial demands, with talks accelerating sharply over the past week.
Real Madrid had long been considered the frontrunners for Rodri, particularly in the period around the World Cup, but those talks are reported to have broken down. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick is said to have played a decisive role instead, personally calling Rodri to lay out the tactical project and the central role he would play in a Camp Nou midfield.
Rodri arrives with his stock at an all-time high. He was the outstanding player as Spain won the 2026 World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, and he already holds the 2024 Ballon d'Or — the first Manchester City player to win it.
Barcelona are expected to sign him to a four-year contract, with the move set to become official once all three parties — Rodri, City and Barcelona — complete the necessary paperwork, a process ONE's report suggests could wrap up as soon as next week.
At Camp Nou he would join an already crowded and talented midfield featuring Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Fermín López, Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong, giving Flick one of the deepest central-midfield pools in Europe.
The move would end a seven-year spell at Manchester City that began with his 2019 arrival from Atlético Madrid. Rodri became the tactical foundation of Pep Guardiola's midfield, winning the Champions League in 2023 and four Premier League titles among 23 trophies at the club.
Spanish media have framed the deal as a significant prestige win for Barcelona, who see landing the World Cup's best player — and doing so ahead of Real Madrid — as a statement of intent as the Catalan club look to rebuild around a proven winner just seven years after he left Spain in the first place.
