Manchester City have rejected Barcelona’s opening offer for midfielder Rodri, turning back a £38.5m bid as the Catalan club edges closer to a potentially high-stakes summer negotiation. The refusal comes with time running out for City to determine the 30-year-old’s future, particularly after it was reported that Rodri has entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium without yet signing a new deal. With the transfer window moving toward its second week in August, City are said to be looking to resolve the situation quickly—both to protect their squad planning and to identify a replacement if Rodri is allowed to leave.
According to BBC Sport, Barcelona’s offer was turned down despite the fact that City remain open to selling the Spaniard. However, City’s position is clear: they would demand more than £60m for the midfielder. The valuation gap has created a stalemate at an early stage of talks, with Barcelona attempting to make inroads on a figure that is well below City’s threshold. The BBC report also indicates that the attempt to negotiate picked up momentum quickly, with sources suggesting Barcelona received the player’s approval to open discussions, and an offer made on Friday after that development was relayed earlier in the week.
The proposed move, at least from Barcelona’s perspective, appears to be driven not only by sporting needs but also by Rodri’s own stance. BBC Sport had previously described the initial posture as uncertain, with Barcelona sources indicating there were no guarantees a deal would ultimately be reached. Yet, subsequent reporting suggests circumstances are evolving, reinforcing the sense that Barcelona’s pursuit is now more than a speculative inquiry. Barcelona’s willingness to proceed, combined with the reported player consent, has pushed the negotiations into a more concrete phase—even if City’s asking price has limited progress so far. See details on the initial bid and City’s response in BBC Sport.
Rodri’s contract status is central to the urgency on both sides. The midfielder, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, has made almost 200 appearances for the club, establishing himself as a core figure in the team’s recent era. He enters this summer with one year remaining and without a new agreement, which has intensified speculation about where he may play next. While the reported interest initially looked likely to involve Real Madrid, Barcelona have now moved into the lead in the pursuit, supported by the reported approval to begin formal discussions with City.
That context matters because Barcelona’s bid—£38.5m—has been framed as an opening figure rather than a final valuation. City, by contrast, are not simply entertaining numbers; they are said to be working toward a price above £60m. Other reporting has suggested a somewhat higher target figure, with City understood to want around £68m for the midfielder. That broader valuation aligns with the BBC’s insistence that City would demand more than £60m, suggesting the clubs may be some distance apart in their interpretation of fair market value for the player.
While the transfer talk continues, Rodri’s immediate availability also presents complications. BBC Sport reports that he is currently out of action following back surgery performed last month. He is scheduled to rejoin his City teammates in Manchester in early next week, meaning his readiness for any pre-season commitments and his involvement in negotiations may be affected by his rehabilitation schedule. The timing is particularly sensitive for Barcelona, who are trying to shape their midfield recruitment while the summer window remains fluid.
In the background of City’s decision-making is the club’s need to plan for squad depth and tactical continuity. With talks ongoing and the window progressing, City are approaching the period in which they aim to act swiftly, whether that means keeping Rodri or replacing him. That urgency is visible in reports that City have been working on a potential alternative: discussions to sign 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille. Lille’s asking price, reported at £86m, is described as a sticking point, highlighting how City’s recruitment targets may depend not only on whether Rodri departs but also on how City manage their overall budget and valuation priorities.
The pursuit also reflects the broader competitive dynamics in Spain’s top tier. Rodri is Spanish and has been linked with a move to La Liga previously, with Real Madrid once seen as the likeliest next destination. However, Barcelona’s reported progress suggests the Catalan club has successfully positioned itself in Rodri’s decision-making cycle, even if City’s financial terms remain the primary barrier. A player can hold an opinion on a move, but the transfer’s feasibility hinges on the negotiations matching—or exceeding—the selling club’s valuation.
Barcelona’s latest challenge is therefore not only about whether they can agree a fee, but also about how to structure that fee to fit City’s demands. The club’s initial offer has already been rejected, leaving open the question of whether Barcelona will return with an improved proposal. Reports beyond the BBC have also suggested that Barcelona have been left frustrated by City’s stance and have sought to adjust terms in response to the setback, though City’s insistence on their valuation remains a constant feature of the dispute.
For City, the situation is also about leverage. With Rodri entering the final year of his contract and the player’s future undecided, City may be balancing the risk of losing him for less later against the desire to reinforce the squad through recruitment. For Barcelona, the attraction is clear—Rodri’s established profile and their apparent conviction that the player is receptive to negotiations—but their challenge is to bridge the financial gap without inflating costs beyond their strategic comfort zone. The coming days are likely to reveal whether Barcelona can move closer to City’s asking price or whether the impasse will persist as August progresses.
For now, the headline fact remains that City have rejected the £38.5m opening bid and would demand significantly more, even as the transfer door stays ajar. With Rodri recovering from back surgery and scheduled to return to training soon, and with City preparing for the second phase of the window that could determine whether they negotiate further or switch to replacement planning, the dispute over valuation may be the deciding factor in where the summer story ends. For background on City’s valuation and the contract-driven context, see The Straits Times.
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