Man City rejects Barcelona's £38.5m bid for Rodri and holds out for £60m+

Manchester City has rejected Barcelona's opening offer of £38.5m for midfielder Rodri. City is open to letting the Spain captain go this summer, but it will not do business for anything less than £60m. Rodri, 30, is entering the final year of his contract at the Etihad and has not signed a new deal. That has fueled intense speculation, with Real Madrid long viewed as the likely next step. Barcelona, however, has now taken the lead in the race: sources said Thursday that the Catalan club had the player's approval to open negotiations with City. Its first bid was submitted Friday. Barcelona sources initially said there were no guarantees a deal would happen, but things are clearly moving. The club confirmed Friday that it is in ongoing contact with Rodri's representatives, and its opening offer followed soon after. Sources say talks with Real Madrid have now ended. Rodri missed much of the 2024-25 season with a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were also disrupted by a hamstring issue. The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner returned to his best at this summer's World Cup, leading Spain to a second title and being named player of the tournament. He is currently out after undergoing back surgery last month, and is expected to link back up with his City teammates in Manchester early next week. As the second week of August approaches, City wants to resolve Rodri's future quickly so it can move for a replacement. It is in talks to sign 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, but the French club's £86m asking price remains a stumbling block. According to Spanish radio network Cadena Ser, which spoke directly with Rodri's agent Pablo Barquero, Real Madrid made an "irresistible" offer shortly after Spain's World Cup triumph. Talks began within days, with Rodri's camp praising the courtesy, class and respect shown by the club throughout the process. The same report says everyone at Real Madrid, from president Florentino Perez to chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez, worked to get the deal done and made it clear how serious they were. They put everything on the table, but despite positive discussions over the past two weeks, Rodri made the personal decision to accept another offer. Real Madrid was informed of that choice on Friday and ended the process rather than prolong the uncertainty, while thanking the player for the respectful way negotiations were handled.