Rodri Joins Barcelona for £65m After 7 Years at Manchester City
Key Points
- Rodri signed a four-year contract with Barcelona after Manchester City accepted a £65m fee.
- The 30-year-old Spanish midfielder won 12 major honours in 298 appearances at City, including four Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League.
- Rodri returns to Spanish football for the first time since leaving Atletico Madrid in 2019.
The midfielder will work under new Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, whom Rodri praised for offering a different tactical approach. "I'm happy to have a coach who I think will bring a lot to my career. It's a style that I think is somewhat different from what I've experienced before, so it will be enriching and help me grow as a player," Rodri said.
Barcelona's pursuit of Rodri intensified after Real Madrid ended their interest in the player. The Catalan club's opening offer of £38.5m was rejected by City, but negotiations ultimately yielded an agreement at approximately £65m. Rodri was in the final 12 months of his City contract signed in 2022, and while the Premier League champions sought an extension, talks did not reach a conclusion.
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Rodri's exit compounds significant changes at Manchester City following manager Pep Guardiola's departure after a decade in charge. Fellow long-serving players John Stones and Bernardo Silva both left when their contracts expired, with Silva joining Real Madrid. This means Rodri may face his former Manchester City teammate in El Clasico fixtures between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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In a farewell message to City supporters, Rodri expressed gratitude for his years at the club. "I am leaving the club with a huge sense of pride about what we have achieved and gratitude too for so many amazing memories," he wrote. "What we have done together in these years is something both very special and unforgettable. City didn't just make me grow as a player. They made me grow as a human. I saw my brother graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University. I could see my girlfriend working for the NHS. Manchester shaped my whole life."
Rodri's transfer reunites the midfielder with Barcelona's Catalan identity after his stint in Manchester's diverse sporting environment. His arrival provides the club with an elite midfield presence as they pursue domestic and European honours under Flick's management.
Sources: BBC Sport and other international news outlets.
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