Barcelona close in on Rodri

The noise around the Etihad this week has been dominated by one name, and it is not the one most supporters would have chosen. Rodri is edging towards the exit door, with Barcelona reportedly closing in on a deal that would end his time in Manchester.

Personal terms are understood to be in place. A verbal proposal of €60m plus add-ons has already been tabled, and while City are holding out for €80m, the gap is not as wide as it once seemed. Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday morning that a new proposal is on the table, and journalist Nicolo Schira has gone further, suggesting negotiations are at the final stage.

Barcelona are said to be very confident of getting this done this week. Direct talks are expected today. Schira puts the likely compensation fee at €60-70m, with Rodri's contract set to run until 2030 at €15m a year.

It is a lot of moving parts, but the direction of travel is clear enough.

City turn to Enzo Fernandez

With Rodri's departure looking increasingly likely, City have stepped up their efforts to sign Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. Having already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and with a deal for Lille's Ayyoud Bouaddi reportedly close, Maresca's side are not messing about.

Romano has confirmed contact between Fernandez's camp and City in recent days. The agent, Javier Pastore, has been in touch, and the message was simple: City are interested, and Maresca in particular is keen. The manager had a great relationship with Fernandez at Chelsea and has consistently flagged him as a target in internal discussions this summer.

But here is where it gets complicated.

Chelsea want £120m. City are not expected to pay that. In fact, Chelsea have given a firm response, a take it or leave it ultimatum, because they do not want to be negotiating when the window is about to slam shut. They feel relaxed about the whole thing, more than happy to keep Fernandez, and believe he can still be an important player for Xabi Alonso. The problems, they say, were in the players camp, not on the player's direct side.

For Chelsea, a case of ‘take it or leave it’ in a few days because Chelsea don't want to negotiate close to the end of the window.

City, for their part, hope there is room for negotiation. If Chelsea can reduce the price in the next few days, then maybe. If not, the deal can still be considered complicated.

And none of this happens in a vacuum. The relationship between the two clubs, and Maresca's appointment at City, was tense. Chelsea want to be happy with the fee if this is going to happen at all.

So there it is. Rodri looks closer to the Camp Nou with every passing hour, and City are casting around for a replacement who might cost more than they want to spend. The next few days will tell us a lot about how brave Chelsea are prepared to be, and how much City really want this one.