Rodri headed to Barcelona after Man City accepts transfer bid

What the report says

Manchester City have accepted a reported £65.4 million ($88.47 million) bid from Barcelona for Spain midfielder Rodri, according to British media cited by Al Jazeera. The move would bring the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner back to his home country after seven seasons at City, where he made 298 appearances and won 12 major trophies.

Sky Sports reported that Rodri has agreed a four-year contract with the Spanish champions and is expected to travel to Barcelona next week to complete the transfer. The 30-year-old originally joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then-club-record £62.8 million. He had one year remaining on his City deal, and the club had wanted him to sign an extension.

Rodri’s departure would mark the end of a highly successful spell at the Etihad Stadium, where he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League. In general football terms, a transfer of this size signals Barcelona’s continued push to strengthen an already elite squad, while City lose a key midfield figure who has been central to their recent success.

Rodri did not feature in City’s 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal on Sunday after returning to training only two days earlier following minor back surgery.