Barcelona are actively working on bringing in Rodri after the Manchester City midfielder gave the green light to a move to Catalonia.
Barca have made tentative enquiries to the player’s camp over the past few days to discover the extent of his desire to move to Camp Nou after previous reports indicated he had his heart set on a switch to Real Madrid.
And they discovered Rodri was eager to join Hansi Flick’s side and link up again with many of the players that worked together to help Spain win the World Cup.
It is a major blow for Madrid, who had assumed the 30-year-old would be the next piece of their jigsaw as they attempt to wrestle back the Liga title under Jose Mourinho.
The signing yesterday of 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande and the announcement that Vinicius Jr had renewed his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu was overshadowed slightly by the fact one of their key targets had snubbed them for their arch-rivals.
A fee of around €60million (£51.4m) would be enough to secure the player, who has less than 12 months left on his deal at City with the Premier League club aware of Rodri’s desire to return to Spain.
Mundo Deportivo report Rodri would like the matter resolved before he returns to City on August 13.
De Jong injury forces Barcelona to seek midfielders
Rodri would fit in perfectly at Camp Nou given Barca’s style of play is similar to that employed by both City and Spain. He won the 2024 Ballon d’Or and was awarded the Golden Ball for best player at the 2026 World Cup after captaining Spain to the title.
Barca are exploring the possibility of bringing him to Catalonia due to doubts over the fitness of Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong suffered a tear of the MCL in his right knee at the World Cup but opted against surgery, preferring a ‘conservative method of treatment’, albeit that may change depending on his progress.
If an operation is required then De Jong would be sidelined for several months, leaving Barca a man light in a key position.
What has Rodri said about a possible move back to Spain?
Rodri, who is currently recovering from a minor back operation, has flirted with the idea of moving back to his homeland for several months. However, all the talk was about a deal with Madrid, not Barcelona.
He said in March: “Having played for Atlético [in 2018-19] before would not prevent me from playing for Real Madrid. There are other players who have done that before. Maybe not direct transfers, but eventually. You can’t turn down one of the world’s best clubs.”
His departure would be a major blow to new City boss Enzo Maresca.
Speaking in his first press conference as City boss last month, Maresca expressed calm over the speculation.
“First of all, we have to say that around big players there is always speculation,” Maresca said.
“So I’m not worried about that, it’s normal, also because they [Spain] won the World Cup – he is one of the best players.
“I think every manager wants to have Rodri, because he’s a top player.
“But now, surgery [on a back problem], and then he needs holiday, he needs to rest, recovery, and then he will be back here with us.”
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