Manchester City accept Barcelona bid for Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, reports say

Manchester City have accepted a £65.4m (R1.4bn) offer from Barcelona for Spain midfielder Rodri, according to British media reports.

Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, has agreed a four-year contract with the Spanish champions, Sky Sports reported. The 30-year-old is expected to travel to Camp Nou next week to complete the move.

The reported agreement would bring an end to Rodri’s seven-year spell at Manchester City, during which he established himself as one of the club’s most decorated players. He has made 298 appearances for City and won 12 major honours.

Those successes include four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League. Rodri played a central role in City’s run of domestic and European success after joining the club from Atletico Madrid in 2019.

City paid a then-club record £62.8m to sign him from Atletico Madrid. The midfielder had one year remaining on his contract, and Manchester City had wanted him to agree an extension rather than leave with his current deal approaching its final season.

The reports of Barcelona’s bid come after Rodri missed City’s 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday. He had only returned to the club’s training ground on Friday after undergoing minor back surgery.

His absence came as City began their campaign with a heavy defeat by Arsenal, while the latest reports suggest Rodri could now be set to leave the club. The proposed transfer would see him return to Spain after his spell in England.

Rodri’s move to City in 2019 followed his time at Atletico Madrid, and he went on to become a key part of the Manchester side that collected four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or award recognised his individual achievements, while his trophy haul at City reached 12 major honours across 298 appearances. Barcelona’s reported offer of £65.4m is higher than the £62.8m City paid to sign him five years earlier.

According to Sky Sports, the four-year agreement has already been reached between Rodri and Barcelona. The Spanish champions are now reported to be preparing for his arrival at Camp Nou next week, where he is expected to complete the transfer.

Manchester City have not been reported as having announced the deal officially, but British media reports say the club have accepted Barcelona’s bid. The proposed move remains the major development surrounding Rodri after his return from minor back surgery and his omission from Sunday’s Community Shield defeat.