Manchester City have rejected Barcelona’s opening £38.5m bid for Rodri, insisting on at least £60m for the midfielder. Rodri reportedly prefers a return to Spain and has agreed personal terms with Barcelona, making the negotiations significant as City risk losing a key player entering the final year of his contract.

The 30-year-old Spain captain joined City from Atlético Madrid in 2019 and has declined a new contract, while talks with Real Madrid have reportedly collapsed. Barcelona want him to help cover Frenkie de Jong’s lengthy knee-injury absence; City have already spent £116m on Elliot Anderson and are considering further midfield reinforcements if Rodri leaves.