Barcelona have made their interest in Manchester City midfielder Rodri official as they compete with Real Madrid to sign the Spain captain. The 30-year-old midfielder wants to return to Spain for family reasons. Manchester City have been waiting for other clubs to declare interest to secure the optimum price for him.
Manchester City offered Rodri a new contract in April, but the club is aware of his desire to explore a move back to Spain. Rodri has one year remaining on his current terms. While he was keen on a transfer to Real Madrid, he is also open to joining Barcelona, where eight of his Spain national teammates currently play.
Barcelona beat Real Madrid to the LaLiga title last season, securing the trophy in May with a 2-0 victory in El Clasico. Meanwhile, Manchester City have already signed Elliot Anderson and are working on a deal for Lille midfield prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Real Madrid interest and squad restructuring
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was initially reluctant to support the transfer. However, others inside the club suggested signing Rodri would benefit the team and its image. Manager Jose Mourinho has been brought in to eradicate a perceived divisiveness in the Real Madrid dressing room and has pushed for the recruitment of senior players.
Rodri, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2024, enters the new season after winning the World Cup with Spain. He was a key figure in Spain's run to a second men's title and beat Argentina's Lionel Messi to the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament. He made 33 appearances for Manchester City last season, though he was hampered by hamstring and groin injuries.
