Man City open to selling Rodri as Barcelona step up interest

Manchester City are open to selling midfielder Rodri, sources told BBC Sport on 7 August 2026, as Barcelona accelerate their interest during the summer transfer window. The club would demand more than £60m for the Spain captain, with his future unresolved as he enters the final year of his Etihad contract.

Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and has made almost 200 appearances for the club. He has not yet signed a new deal and, according to sources, Barcelona now appear to be leading the race after being given the player's approval to open negotiations with City. Barca sources initially told BBC Sport there were no guarantees any deal would be made, but the situation was reported to be developing and Barcelona said on Friday they were in ongoing conversations with the player's representatives.

BBC sources say talks with Real Madrid have now ended, despite earlier expectations that Real could be his next destination. Reports from Cadena Ser, which spoke to Rodri's agent Pablo Barquero, said Real made an "irresistible" offer shortly after Spain's World Cup triumph and that negotiations began just days after the tournament. Cadena Ser added that Real were informed of Rodri's decision on Friday and chose to end the process in order to avoid prolonging uncertainty, while thanking the player for the respectful way the negotiations were conducted.

Rodri missed much of the 2024-25 campaign after sustaining a serious knee injury and had parts of last season disrupted by a hamstring issue. He was the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and played a central role at the World Cup, leading Spain to their second title and being named player of the tournament. He is currently recovering from back surgery carried out last month and is scheduled to link back up with his City team-mates in Manchester early next week.

Cadena Ser reported that Rodri's camp praised "the courtesy, class and respect shown by the club throughout the negotiations," and said figures at Real, "from president Florentino Perez to chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez," worked to make a deal happen and put everything on the table. Despite those efforts, the radio network reported that Rodri had made a personal decision to accept another offer, prompting Real to end their pursuit.

With the transfer window approaching its second week of August, City are aiming to resolve Rodri's future swiftly so they can recruit a replacement. Talks are ongoing over a move for 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, but the French club's £86m asking price remains a sticking point.

Rodri's scheduled return to Manchester early next week comes as City seek clarity on his contract and potential suitors; the club's next steps will include concluding negotiations that will determine whether they proceed to sign a midfield replacement.