FC Barcelona has made another attempt to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri, with the latest proposal landing at €60 million plus add-ons, according to transfer reporting that cites Fabrizio Romano and Spain’s SPORT. The renewed approach comes after City remained firm in its view that the World Cup-winning midfielder is worth around €80 million, setting up an obvious gulf between the two clubs’ figures despite signs the negotiations may be narrowing.
On the Barcelona side, the renewed offer is described as verbal and structured to include performance-related extras, reflecting a common negotiating tactic as both sides explore ways to bridge their valuation gap without breaking internal spending limits. The message attributed to Romano was direct: Barcelona had already submitted a €60 million package with add-ons, while Manchester City continued to insist on an €80 million assessment of Rodri’s value. Romano also suggested the middle ground—an overall settlement positioned between €60 million and €80 million—could be achieved if the add-ons are agreed in a way that satisfies City.
City’s stance, however, has been consistent across multiple reports: they want the transfer to reflect the cost of losing a key central midfielder. Sky Sports reported that Manchester City rejected a Barcelona bid described as £55 million for Rodri, and noted that City were looking for upwards of £60 million. That coverage placed Rodri in a delicate contractual situation, with the midfielder entering the final year of his deal, strengthening City’s leverage because it is their decision—rather than the player’s existing agreement—to determine the transfer’s timing and price.
The broader context of the talks indicates that Barcelona has been escalating its overtures in stages. The reports circulated over the summer described an initial approach in the region of £40 million that was rejected, followed by expectations that the offer would rise into the £50 million to £60 million bracket. Yet City still viewed even the improved proposal as not enough, underscoring the central theme of these negotiations: Barcelona is trying to keep the deal within a ceiling it considers feasible, while City is aiming for a valuation closer to its stated €80 million.
Barcelona’s reluctance to go beyond certain financial limits has also been portrayed as a key reason negotiations remain complicated. beIN SPORTS described City’s position as “in control” and suggested the English club had effectively delivered a clear ultimatum: if Barcelona want Rodri, they will need to move nearer the asking price. beIN also reported that the third Blaugrana push had been unsuccessful, emphasizing that City’s answer remained “no” despite Barcelona’s continued efforts and the prospect of a deal nearing a decisive stage.
Still, other reporting indicates the gap is not as wide as the headline numbers might suggest. The Athletic later reported that Barcelona and City had reached an agreement in principle for €76.5 million for Rodri, with a breakdown that points to an upfront fee of €60 million and a bundle of add-ons worth more than €11 million. That structure mirrors the approach hinted at in the earlier Romano and SPORT account, where Barcelona’s base offer is at €60 million but the total package could rise depending on conditions set in the add-ons.
According to The Athletic, City expects to achieve at least €71.5 million because Rodri has less than 12 months remaining on his contract. The same report also framed the add-ons as largely achievable, implying that Barcelona may be willing to concede more on the performance side of the agreement rather than simply raising the upfront fee. For City, this would preserve its €80 million valuation objective in a way that appears achievable under the proposed conditions.
Personal terms, meanwhile, have been described as unlikely to be the main obstacle. The Athletic said personal terms are not expected to be an issue, pointing to a four-year contract being proposed by Barcelona. With Rodri having starred for Spain during their World Cup success earlier in the summer, interest from a top La Liga champion also carries heightened momentum, since it combines the lure of a major team environment with the opportunity for a central role.
In the timeline of negotiations, Barcelona’s first and subsequent bids appear to have been rejected by City, but the later reporting of an in-principle understanding suggests that those rejections may have been part of a bargaining process rather than an absolute dead end. The escalation—from a lower initial offer to a figure anchored at €60 million with additional performance-related payments—aligns with the idea that the final outcome could land around the middle of the €60 million to €80 million range described by Romano.
There are also indications that Rodri is not the only high-profile target challenging Barcelona’s recruitment plans. beIN SPORTS noted that Barcelona remain interested in Julián Álvarez as well, though it characterized any pursuit of the Argentina international as difficult. That detail matters because it contextualizes Barcelona’s apparent willingness to keep trying for Rodri while managing the overall shape of its transfer business during the summer window.
With City holding firm at €80 million for Rodri and Barcelona preferring something closer to a €60–€70 million ceiling, the next steps hinge on the precise definition and feasibility of the add-ons. If the agreement in principle described by The Athletic is realized, the deal would reflect the same structure—€60 million upfront plus substantial extras—that has featured in multiple rounds of reporting. For Barcelona, that would mean securing a World Cup-winning midfielder on a proposed four-year contract without simply exceeding its comfort zone on the fixed fee.
For Manchester City, an arrangement that allows the total to climb toward City’s valuation objective would justify the decision to sell a crucial player in the final stage of his contract. The negotiations have therefore moved beyond a simple question of “how much” into the more technical matter of “how” the money is paid and under what sporting or performance triggers. As both clubs seek to finalize the agreement, the key issue is whether the add-ons can be made acceptable, measurable, and achievable—essentially turning the difference between €60 million and €80 million into a negotiated set of conditions.
Whether the process ultimately closes quickly or drags further, the latest developments show that Barcelona has not backed away from Rodri. The club’s willingness to return with another €60 million-plus-add-ons offer, contrasted with City’s insistence on an €80 million valuation, has created a clear framework for the final settlement. The transfer story is now less about a single bid and more about the final architecture of the contract between the two clubs—one designed to satisfy City’s pricing expectations and Barcelona’s financial constraints. News Source
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