City are understood to have rejected an opening bid of GBP 38.5 million ($52 million) from Barcelona for the midfielder. The 30-year-old has just one season remaining on his deal at the Etihad and has been strongly linked with a return to his native Spain. City are reported to want about GBP 68 million for Rodri, who was named player of the tournament at the recent World Cup in North America.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said “anything can happen” amid reports La Liga champions Barcelona have bid to sign World Cup winner Rodri.
Rodri joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019. He won multiple Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League under former boss Pep Guardiola. City have already spent GBP 116 million on England’s Elliot Anderson following Bernardo Silva’s exit, but fellow midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is on the verge of joining Saudi club Al Qadsiah in a deal estimated to be worth £51 million. Reijnders only arrived from AC Milan for £46.5 million last year, but started just half of City’s Premier League matches.
Rodri was the last City player to report for pre-season training, only arriving back on Friday, having had back surgery after starring in Spain’s World Cup triumph.
Maresca said that it was “normal” a player would want to play more games. “Tijjani’s situation is like James Trafford’s situation, some more players, but I think when the club, the player, the manager, they all think the same way, that probably the best decision for a player is to go, you have to go.”
