Barcelona Return With New Rodri Bid as City Hold Firm on Valuation
Barcelona have not gone away quietly. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Spanish club have submitted a fresh offer for Rodri, with the midfielder's future at the Etihad once again under the microscope.
Romano reports that the new bid was sent last night, a €60m proposal that lands some distance short of what City consider the 30-year-old to be worth. The Blues want more, and they are not shy about saying so.
Negotiations, we are told, continue between the clubs. Barça, for their part, remain optimistic. They have been here before, of course, and they keep coming back.
Rodri's stock has rarely been higher. He played a starring role in Spain's World Cup 2026 triumph this summer, adding another layer of shine to a career already dripping with silverware. For City, the prospect of losing him is almost unthinkable, a reality they were forced to confront when he missed so much of the 2024/25 season through injury.
That spell on the sidelines offered a glimpse of what life without Rodri might look like, and it was not a pretty picture. His absence was felt keenly, a reminder of just how central he is to everything City do.
City have not been idle in the market themselves, of course. The big-money arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest earlier this summer was a statement of intent, while Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champions, have strengthened with the signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle. The gap between the two sides is closing, and City know it.
Whether Barcelona can find the numbers to match City's valuation remains to be seen. The gap is significant, but the Catalans have form for pulling off the improbable. For now, the ball is in City's court, and they are showing no signs of blinking.