Barcelona prepare final Rodri bid after Manchester City reject second offer

Barcelona are preparing a final bid for Rodri after Manchester City rejected the Catalan club’s second offer for the Spain midfielder, according to Sport.

The proposed package was worth €60m (£52m) up front, with a further €10m in add-ons. Manchester City turned down that offer and are holding out for €80m, despite Rodri having only one year remaining on his contract.

Barcelona are ready to increase their offer one last time, although they do not want to exceed the financial limits they have set for the deal. Rodri is also pushing to leave the Premier League and join Barcelona, with negotiations continuing between the two clubs.

Sport reports that Barcelona’s final proposal could consist of €65m in guaranteed payments, plus €10m in potential bonuses. Half of those add-ons – €5m – are considered relatively straightforward to achieve, while the remaining €5m would depend on more demanding targets.

The Catalan club hope that revised terms will be enough to reach an initial agreement in the coming hours. If that happens, Rodri could avoid returning to Manchester and travel directly to Barcelona instead.

Rodri is due back in Manchester City training on Friday. However, his preference is to go straight to Barcelona while the final stages of the negotiations take place.

Manchester City appear increasingly aware that Rodri’s departure could be approaching, although the club have stressed during discussions that they would be willing to keep him until the end of his contract.

Their activity in the transfer market suggests they are also preparing for the possibility of losing the midfielder. Manchester City are currently negotiating for two midfielders, Ayoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez, who could help replace the Spain international.

Rodri recognises the effort Barcelona are making to complete the transfer and has responded by showing flexibility over his financial demands. He has also given up some payments that Real Madrid had been prepared to offer him.

The midfielder remains committed to joining Barcelona for both sporting and personal reasons and is doing everything possible to help move the negotiations towards a conclusion. Barcelona believe the gap between the two clubs is now relatively small, even though the discussions have proved more difficult than expected.

The latest proposal would represent Barcelona’s final attempt to secure the deal within their planned budget. Manchester City’s €80m valuation remains above Barcelona’s current position, but the player’s stance and the English club’s recruitment plans could influence the outcome in the final hours.