Manchester City reject Barcelona’s £38.5m Bid, demand £68m for Rodri

Manchester City have reportedly rejected Barcelona’s opening bid of £38.5 million ($52 million) for Spanish midfielder Rodri.

The Premier League champions are understood to have placed a valuation of about £68 million on the 30-year-old, who has one year remaining on his current contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Rodri has been strongly linked with a return to Spain following another successful campaign, having been named the best player at the recent FIFA World Cup in North America.

Although Real Madrid had previously been considered favourites to sign the Spain international, Barcelona are now reportedly leading the race for his signature.

Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and established himself as one of the club’s most influential players under former manager Pep Guardiola.

During his time at the Etihad, he helped City win multiple Premier League titles and played a pivotal role in their historic 2023 UEFA Champions League triumph.

The midfielder also enjoyed international success with Spain, winning UEFA Euro 2024 before claiming the Ballon d’Or later that year.

However, a serious knee injury sidelined him for a significant part of the 2024/25 season before he returned to action.