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It has not been a straightforward summer transfer window for Rodri, and that has been reflected in their pursuit of Rodri. They already personal terms with the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner last week, but after having two bids rejected by Manchester City in the last few days, they are still waiting to get a deal done.
Barcelona had not planned to sign a new midfielder this summer, but due to Frenkie de Jong being sidelined for the foreseeable future with a serious knee injury, the decision was made to enter the market. Rodri was quickly identified as a leading target, and after pipping Real Madrid during club-to-player talks, they are now in pole position to sign him.
But before a deal can be done, Barcelona must agree terms with Man City. They are confident that their third offer will be good enough to receive the green light, but if it is not, there is a real chance that they walk away, given Sport have reported that a 48-hour time limit has been set by the Catalans for an agreement to be found.
Barcelona want to unveil Rodri prior to Joan Gamper Trophy
Barcelona are not keen for talks with Man City to drag on, which they are at risk of doing – especially now that the 30-year-old has returned to Manchester as part of his pre-season preparations. They want a deal done over the weekend, so that they can unveil the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner at the Spotify Camp Nou before the Joan Gamper Trophy, their annual curtain raiser, which takes place on Wednesday against Egyptian side Al Ahly.
Barcelona may be confident that Rodri will eventually be signed, and while they can afford to have it drag on a little bit given that he will not be available to play right away due to having minor surgery a few weeks ago, they are very keen to end this saga as soon as possible.