Rodri feature on La Liga website fuels Barcelona transfer speculation

La Liga has intensified speculation over a possible move for Manchester City midfielder Rodri to Barcelona by placing the Spain international at the centre of its official website.

The move comes as negotiations between Barcelona and Manchester City appear to be approaching their final stages, with only a number of minor details reportedly left to resolve. Rodri is believed to have rejected the possibility of joining Real Madrid, increasing expectations that he could return to the Spanish top flight with Barcelona.

Visitors to La Liga’s website were greeted by a video highlighting Rodri’s standout moments for Villarreal and Atletico de Madrid. The feature was published while the 30-year-old remains a Manchester City player, making its timing particularly notable.

The accompanying message looked back at the midfielder’s early career in the competition and said: “Before he became a world champion with the Spain national team, Rodri had already begun to show his potential in La Liga. Relive some of his best moments with Villarreal and Atletico de Madrid, from his control of midfield and intelligent reading of the game to the quality that made him one of the best footballers.”

According to Mundo Deportivo, the website feature was released at a significant moment, with reports suggesting Rodri could be close to returning to the league where he first established himself before moving to Manchester City.

Barcelona’s pursuit of the midfielder has also produced fresh developments during the current summer transfer window. Reports in recent hours claimed that the Catalan club had submitted an offer worth €50m, but that proposal was rejected by Manchester City.

Sport has reported that Barcelona are prepared to increase their bid to €60m for the player described as the best player at the 2026 World Cup. That figure, however, is still below Manchester City’s valuation.

Although Rodri has a good relationship with Barcelona, the English club are not prepared to allow one of their most important players to leave for what they consider a low fee. Marca has reported that Manchester City have set an asking price of €70m for the midfielder.

That amount is regarded as the minimum required to persuade City to sell, particularly because they would then need to spend heavily to find a replacement. As a result, an agreement between the two European giants is not yet close, despite Barcelona’s apparent willingness to invest significantly in the deal.

Rodri has not played in La Liga since 18 May 2019, when he made his final appearance for Atletico de Madrid against Levante. That match ended in a 2-2 draw.

He subsequently moved to Manchester City and developed into one of the leading midfielders in world football. His achievements were recognised when he won the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

If the transfer goes through, Rodri will return to La Liga more than seven years after his last appearance in the competition. He would do so not as an emerging midfielder, but as one of the most prominent players in the world.

The move would carry further significance because Rodri’s arrival at Barcelona would bring a Ballon d’Or winner back to the Spanish league for the first time since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009.

Nothing has been officially confirmed, but La Liga’s decision to place Rodri’s image and a video of his best moments on the front of its website has added another layer to a transfer story that is already attracting widespread attention.