Barcelona Set to Renew Bid for Rodri Amid Manchester City Negotiations
Barcelona is preparing to make a renewed offer for Spanish international Rodri as discussions with Manchester City persist, according to sources. The Catalan club has secured personal terms with Rodri, who has chosen to join the La Liga champions over Real Madrid. However, Barça’s previous attempts have fallen short, with two unsuccessful bids for the midfielder.
Reports suggest that Manchester City values the 30-year-old at over €70 million (£60 million / $81 million), and Barcelona’s forthcoming offer is expected to align with this valuation. Rodri returned to England this week after taking time off following Spain’s World Cup victory in North America last month.
Rodri met with Manchester City’s new head coach, Enzo Maresca, for the first time on Friday. Maresca was cautious when discussing the possibility of collaborating with Rodri this season. “As I already said, when the transfer window is open, we can buy players, we can sell players, anything can happen,” Maresca stated during a press conference prior to the FA Community Shield against Arsenal. He added, “I just saw Rodri now, I gave him a big hug, he looks good. So let’s see what happens.” When asked about discussing further with Rodri, he mentioned, “Now we have time to see each other a bit more.”
City is eager to bolster their midfield, especially following the departure of Bernardo Silva to Real Madrid on a free transfer. Reports suggest that the Premier League club has also reached an agreement with Al Qadsiah for Tijjani Reijnders. They have already made a significant signing by acquiring Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million ($154 million) but are still targeting additional reinforcements.
Among their targets are Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi. However, Maresca acknowledged that City is unlikely to meet Chelsea’s Friday deadline for Fernández, given the Blues are demanding £120 million ($161.8 million) for the Argentine.
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
