Barcelona Intensifies Pursuit of Rodri with €60m Bid

Barcelona have accelerated their pursuit of Rodri, with Spanish outlet Diario AS, via Barca Universal, reporting that the club are ready to put around €60 million on the table for the Manchester City midfielder and hand him one of the biggest contracts of the Hansi Flick era.

The Spain international is said to be in line for a four-year deal worth roughly €30 million gross per season. Those numbers would place him immediately among the club’s top earners and underline just how far Barça are willing to go to secure a new midfield reference point.

Second bid aimed at breaking City’s resistance

According to Yahoo Sports, Barcelona have already returned to Manchester City with an improved offer after seeing an opening bid knocked back. The first proposal, reported at €45 million, was rejected amid suggestions from England that City value the player at around €80 million.

The Catalan club’s revised package is said to be €60 million plus bonuses, a structure designed to narrow that gap without matching City’s full asking price. Yahoo Sports add that the add-ons are performance-related, a familiar tactic for clubs trying to land high-value targets while protecting their budgets.

Talks between the two clubs are ongoing, with Barcelona reportedly keen to close a deal quickly so that Rodri can join Flick’s squad in training as soon as possible.

Rodri’s preference tilts the battle

The financial push is only part of the story. AS report that Rodri has already informed Real Madrid of his decision to join Barcelona, a move that would tilt one of the window’s most intriguing transfer battles firmly towards the Camp Nou.

The same report claims the 30-year-old favours Barcelona’s style of play and feels comfortable with the idea of stepping into a dressing room that already includes several of his Spain teammates. He is also said to value the footballing philosophy that runs from Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to his current Manchester City side and now, potentially, back to Catalonia.

Barca Universal had already suggested that Barcelona had moved ahead of Real Madrid in the race, despite Madrid’s interest in prising the midfielder away from City. If Rodri’s stance is as clear as reported, that advantage could prove decisive.

A huge financial bet in the Flick era

If the numbers being reported hold, Rodri would represent one of Barcelona’s most substantial investments since Hansi Flick took charge. A €60 million fee combined with a four-year, €30 million gross annual salary is a commitment that would reshape the club’s wage hierarchy.

Last season, Robert Lewandowski sat near the top of that structure before departing at the end of his contract. On the reported terms, Rodri would effectively step into that financial space, becoming one of the pillars of the new project both on the pitch and on the balance sheet.

For a club still walking a tightrope with financial regulations, betting so heavily on one midfielder sends a clear message: Flick wants a controlling figure at the heart of his team, and Barcelona are prepared to pay for it.

Now the question is simple. Will Manchester City bend enough to let their midfield anchor walk, or will Barcelona’s bold move stop just short of the finish line?