The 30-year-old World Cup winner had entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and made it clear he would like the opportunity to move to Barcelona. City, who are now closing in on a deal to sign Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, were reluctant sellers but had little choice with the Spanish international out of contract next summer.
City had already rejected Barcelona’s bid of around €60m (£51m) for Rodri last week after an initial offer of €45m (£38.5m) but have now accepted the latest bid.
Speaking after City’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, Enzo Maresca called Rodri a “top player” and said “all the teams need Rodri”, but City have been unable to persuade their linchpin to stay and sign a new contract. Rodri had only returned to the club on Friday, having undergone back surgery after the World Cup, with Maresca saying he had given him a “big hug” when he first met up with him.
Rodri has spent seven seasons with City, winning the Premier League four times and scoring the only goal when they beat Inter in the 2023 Champions League final. The following year he won the Ballon d’Or but, by the time he was presented with the trophy, he was sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament which ruled him out of most of the 2024-25 campaign, while hamstring and groin problems limited him to 33 appearances in Pep Guardiola’s final campaign in charge.
City have already undergone major changes in midfield this summer, spending £116m on Elliot Anderson, while agreeing a deal to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah. They are now ready to seal a move for the Morocco star Bouaddi.
The teenager impressed at the World Cup and Lille had initially wanted any potential move to include a 12-month loan deal back to the French side. However, with City losing Bernardo Silva and now Rodri, Maresca is keen to bulk up his midfield options for the new campaign and want Bouaddi available for this season. City have also been linked with Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández and retain an interest.
[Source: The Guardian]
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