Manchester City have rejected Barcelona’s opening £38.5m offer for Rodri, though the club are willing to sell the Spain midfielder for more than £60m. The situation matters because Rodri is in the final year of his contract and City want clarity soon enough to pursue a replacement before the transfer window closes.

Barcelona have the 30-year-old’s approval to negotiate and are now considered the leading contenders after talks with Real Madrid ended. Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or and starred in Spain’s World Cup win, has recently had back surgery following injury-hit seasons; City are also discussing a move for Lille’s 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, whose £86m valuation is proving difficult.