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Spanish champions Barcelona have completed the signing of midfielder Rodri from Manchester City.
The Spaniard was left out of the City squad for their Community Shield defeat against Arsenal in Cardiff on Sunday, and the La Liga side confirmed on Tuesday night that they had completed the signing of the 30-year-old.
Rodri joined City from La Liga side Atletico Madrid back in 2019 and went on to make a total of 298 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions, establishing himself not only as a key player for the club, but also as one of the best in Europe in his position at the base of midfield.
Undoubtedly the highlight of Rodri’s time with City came in 2023 when he was part of the side that completed a remarkable treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League; the midfielder netted the winning goal as City lifted Europe’s top club trophy for the first time ever.
Around 12 months later, the midfielder won the coveted Ballon d’Or after helping Spain to win the 2024 European Championships, and he also helped Luis de la Fuente’s side to win the World Cup earlier this summer.
Rodri helped Spain to win the World Cup for the second time as they triumphed this summer (Photo: Aflo. Co. Ltd/Alamy)
Despite his importance during Pep Guardiola’s time in charge at The Etihad, the Spain international had struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons, most notably cruciate ligament tear that sidelined him for the majority of the 2024/25 campaign.
Rodri’s departure from Manchester City comes just weeks after the Premier League club completed the signing of England international Elliot Anderson from fellow English side Nottingham Forest.
City may still want to bolster new manager Enzo Maresca’s squad in midfield, though, and the Manchester outfit have been linked with Lille youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez.