Rodri with Man City and Barcelona badges
Rodri remains keen on joining Barcelona this summer
Rodri has returned to England after being instructed by Manchester City to report back for pre-season, with his proposed move to Barcelona still unresolved, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.
The Spain international had hoped to travel directly to Catalonia and finalise his move to the Camp Nou, but negotiations between the two clubs have failed to reach a breakthrough and City have insisted that their captain return to Manchester in the meantime.
As we revealed on Thursday, Barcelona’s second offer for the 30-year-old was worth just over €60million (£51m) with add-ons on top.
That proposal remains below Man City‘s valuation, with the Premier League champions continuing to demand €80million (£68m) for the midfielder.
TEAMtalk understands City have made that figure clear to Rodri‘s camp and have told the player that, if he wants his preferred move, he and his representatives need to work with Barcelona to get the Catalan giants closer to the required price.
The lines of communication between the clubs remain open.
City sporting director Hugo Viana and Barcelona counterpart Deco are in regular contact and sources indicate there is a belief within both camps that a third offer will arrive over the weekend.
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Sources close to the situation expect that proposal to be in excess of €70m (£60m), although City are still holding firmly to their €80m (£68m) valuation.
Rodri’s return to England means City have got their way on one key part of the process. They had insisted he needed to report back for pre-season until an agreement was reached, despite the midfielder’s hope that his Barcelona move would have been resolved before his return.
However, we understand Rodri and his family have already started packing up their Manchester home, such is the confidence within his camp that the move to Barcelona will ultimately happen.
For now, though, those plans are on hold. Rodri is due to return to the Etihad training campus for work with City while negotiations continue.
City insist they will not and cannot make a huge reduction on their current asking price. The club believe €80m already represents good value for a player of Rodri’s status and importance in the current market, even with only 12 months remaining on his contract.
The situation remains frustrating for Rodri, who has already agreed personal terms with Barcelona and wants the move to happen.
However, those close to the player and the Catalan club remain confident that a deal will eventually be completed.
We understand they continue to believe Rodri can be a Barcelona player within the next week, but there is still a financial gap to bridge before that can happen.
For now, Rodri is back in Manchester and City’s position remains unchanged: they are prepared to facilitate his departure, but only if Barcelona meet their valuation.