Rodri transfer to Barcelona nears completion after agreement with Manchester City

Rodri’s proposed move from Manchester City to Barcelona is close to completion, with the clubs having reached an almost-final agreement over a deal worth a fixed fee plus performance-related add-ons.

The transfer is expected to be formally announced in the coming days, once the remaining details that are delaying confirmation have been settled. The Spain international has already reached a final agreement with Barcelona and could become a Catalan club player as early as this week.

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have significantly reduced the gap between Manchester City’s financial demands and their initial offer for the midfielder. An agreement with the 30-year-old was reached several days ago, with Rodri having only one year remaining on his contract with the English club.

The two clubs are now said to be only a few steps away from exchanging the documents required to complete the signing. Final approval is still needed on certain technical aspects of the financial structure, but the latest developments suggest the transfer is moving towards a conclusion.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is keen to secure the deal as quickly as possible. His urgency comes despite comments from Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca, who indicated that Rodri was expected to report to the English club next Friday to begin pre-season training.

However, the latest movement in negotiations points towards the Spain midfielder continuing his career in Catalonia rather than returning to Manchester City for preparations ahead of the new campaign.

Flick wants to have an early understanding of the squad available to him before Barcelona begin their La Liga campaign in two weeks. With the transfer window remaining open until 31 August, the manager regards completing urgent incoming deals as a major priority.

The potential move represents a dramatic change in Rodri’s position. Barcelona were not his first choice at the beginning of the transfer window, nor immediately after the World Cup.

His doubts about Real Madrid, together with the fact that an almost-final agreement with the Spanish club had not been formally activated, played an important part in changing the direction of the transfer.

Those developments helped Barcelona move into a stronger position in the race for the midfielder, with the club now close to resolving the final financial and administrative issues involved in the deal.

Flick is also hoping Rodri can join the rest of the team’s world champions at roughly the same time. Those players are scheduled to return to training next Wednesday after being given special leave following their participation in the World Cup.

Having Rodri available during that period would give Flick a better opportunity to build his preferred starting XI and assess the make-up of his squad before competitive football begins. The Barcelona manager is therefore pushing for the transfer to be completed promptly, even though the registration and final transfer arrangements still need to be concluded.

The agreement is not yet official, but the two clubs are understood to be close to exchanging the final paperwork. With the fixed fee, variable clauses and remaining technical details still to be confirmed, Rodri’s move to Barcelona could be announced within days.