Barcelona agree £65m Rodri deal as Man City prepare for midfield change

Barcelona have reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City to sign midfielder Rodri in a deal worth up to £65.4 million.

The Catalan club had several previous offers rejected but have now agreed a package believed to include around £51 million upfront, with additional payments expected to take the total fee beyond £60 million.

The agreement comes just hours after City suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Rodri set for Barcelona move

Rodri was absent from City’s squad for the Community Shield as negotiations with Barcelona continued, increasing speculation that his departure was close.

The 30-year-old has entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and has also dealt with injury problems during the past two seasons.

City are understood to view the agreement as a favourable outcome given Rodri’s contract situation.

The Spain international has spent seven years at the club and became one of City’s most influential players, scoring the winning goal in their 2023 Champions League final victory.

His departure will leave Enzo Maresca with a major gap to address as the new City manager prepares for his first Premier League campaign.

Maresca demands more signings

Maresca admitted after the Community Shield defeat that City still need reinforcements before the transfer window closes.

“With any new signing, the sooner they arrive the better because we are starting the Premier League in one week,” Maresca said.

He added: “We are quite clear in what we need to do and for sure we are going to do something before the window closes.”

City are now expected to prioritise a replacement for Rodri, with Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi reportedly among their targets. Lille are believed to value the young midfielder at around £85 million.

Elliot Anderson, who joined City in a record deal, is currently the only new signing expected to feature regularly for the first team.

Maresca also handed Jack Grealish his first City appearance in 15 months during the Community Shield. The England international is still expected to leave the club this month.

Captain Ruben Dias acknowledged that City face a period of adjustment after a decade under Pep Guardiola.

“There’s a lot of work to put in,” Dias said. “It’s part of any transition for things to be not so perfect in the beginning.”

Rodri’s expected move to Barcelona now gives Maresca another major issue to resolve as City prepare for the new season.