Barcelona push closer to Rodri deal with €65m offer plus add-ons

Barcelona have increased their offer for Manchester City midfielder Rodri as negotiations over a potential transfer enter an advanced stage, with the Spanish club now prepared to pay €65m plus a further €5m in add-ons.

Talks between the two clubs are progressing at an exceptionally rapid pace, and the proposed move is now closer to completion than at any previous point in the process.

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca recently warned that he was counting on Rodri returning to team training. However, that announcement was viewed as an attempt to project confidence rather than evidence of a firm expectation that the Spain international would remain at the club.

The negotiating teams at Barcelona and Manchester City have continued working without interruption. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, all the details of Barcelona’s initial financial proposal had been established within just under 48 hours. The Catalan club has now followed that opening bid with a significantly improved offer.

Barcelona began negotiations by proposing €50m for Rodri. That figure was immediately regarded as insufficient after sources in England indicated that Manchester City would not consider selling the midfielder for less than about £70m.

The first offer was therefore rejected at an early stage, but both sides understood that discussions would continue over the weekend. Barcelona’s objective was to prepare a second proposal capable of persuading Manchester City to accept a deal close to its financial demands.

That next step has now been taken. The latest offer consists of €65m up front, with another €5m available through performance-related or other contractual add-ons. It represents a substantial financial effort from Barcelona, although the overall package remains slightly below Manchester City’s reported valuation of around £70m.

The negotiations are said to be following the familiar pattern of a major transfer, with the buying club making an initial proposal before improving its terms after the price demanded by the selling club becomes clear.

Neither party is believed to want the process to drag on, particularly as there appears to be broad agreement over the direction of the deal. Barcelona have moved closer to City’s position, while Manchester City are now expected to show some flexibility of their own over the final fee.

English media outlets have reported the financial details of Barcelona’s latest attempt, following the rapid developments in the talks. The expectation is that Manchester City will now respond to the improved bid and may reduce its demands sufficiently to allow negotiations to move towards a final agreement.

For the moment, however, the difference between the two clubs’ positions has not been completely resolved. Barcelona’s €65m offer, together with €5m in add-ons, is the latest proposal on the table, while Manchester City continues to seek a package equivalent to approximately £70m.