Rodri arrives in Barcelona to finalise move from Manchester City

Spain midfielder Rodri arrived in Barcelona on Monday to complete his transfer from Manchester City, the move reported on 17 August 2026. The 30-year-old touched down in the city as negotiations between the clubs concluded.

Barcelona have agreed to pay City about £65m for the midfielder, the club said, and Rodri addressed waiting journalists at the airport. "I'm very happy to have arrived. The last few days have been intense, but I'm glad everything has been sorted out. Of course, playing for FC Barcelona is a dream," Rodri told journalists at the airport on Monday.

He spoke further of joining team-mates and his short-term goals, saying: "I can't wait to be with my team-mates, many of whom I already know from the national team. It's time to get to work and give my very best." Rodri added that he is aiming to win "the Champions League and everything else that comes our way" with Barca.

Rodri made 298 appearances across seven trophy-laden seasons at City after joining them from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club record £62.8m. He missed much of the 2024-25 campaign after sustaining a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were disrupted by a hamstring issue.

The midfielder returned to form at the World Cup, leading Spain to their second title and being named player of the tournament; he is also the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. Rodri leaves City having won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League in 2022-23.

Negotiations had been contested: last week City rejected Barca's opening offer of £38.5m for Rodri, who was set to enter the final year of his contract at Etihad Stadium. It had looked like Real Madrid would be his next destination but La Liga rivals Barcelona stepped up their efforts to complete the signing in recent days.

Rodri is due to sign a four-year contract with the La Liga champions.