Contacts have reopened over a move to Barcelona, with sources explaining to Flashscore that talks could develop quickly this week.
Barcelona’s initial approach for Rodri was deemed too low, with an initial opening €45 million offer knocked back by City.
City know that a new formal bid is planned but they value Rodri closer to €80 million, particularly in a summer market in which they have already paid more than €130 million for Elliot Anderson.
A pending deal for Ferran Torres to join Paris Saint-Germain for over €50 million should strengthen Barcelona’s ability to land Rodri from a financial perspective.
That does not mean Barcelona can be expected to immediately satisfy City’s demands.
Sources say there are now discussions opening about finding some middle ground on the deal.
Talks are amicable at this stage and Barcelona and the player are confident about how this opens up.
It will be interesting to see how far City are willing to dip from their initial valuation.
Despite Rodri being out of contract in a year, City consider him the best holding midfielder in the game and are determined to command a significant fee for his departure.
Last week we detailed how the Premier League side were frustrated by the manner in which the Rodri saga had begun to unfold - but they are hopeful of respectful negotiations from here.
Barca are keen to ensure that happens, too, but there is an expectation that a deal for Rodri to make the move to Spain will soon gather pace.
Dean Jones is a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore, since 2025. He has been a journalist on leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
