Barcelona have signed the Manchester City midfielder Rodri on a four-year contract, ending his seven-season spell at the Etihad Stadium. The transfer is reported to be worth up to £65m.
The fee is understood to include a guaranteed £51m with performance-related add-ons that could take the total to around £65m. City had rejected two lower Barcelona offers, of around £38.5m and then £51m, before accepting the Catalan club's third bid. Rodri had entered the final year of his contract and made clear he wanted the move, leaving City reluctant sellers with little leverage.
Rodri joined City from Atlético Madrid in 2019 for a then club-record £62.8m, and leaves having made 298 appearances and won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League in 2023, in which he scored the winning goal against Inter. He was named the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, and was player of the tournament as Spain won the World Cup this summer, though his final two seasons at City were disrupted by a serious knee injury and a hamstring problem.
Barcelona moved for Rodri after Frenkie de Jong was ruled out through injury, with the head coach, Hansi Flick, understood to have wanted him as a leadership addition to a midfield that already includes Pedri, Gavi, De Jong, Marc Bernal, Dani Olmo and Fermín López. Rodri is understood to have turned down an approach from Real Madrid to push through the move. "I'm very happy to have arrived. The last few days have been intense, but I'm glad everything has been sorted out. Of course, playing for FC Barcelona is a dream," he said after arriving in the city for his medical. "I can't wait to be with my team-mates, many of whom I already know from the national team. It's time to get to work and give my very best."