Far from the football spotlight and without social media — one of the few people in the world to live that way — Rodri is enjoying the beaches, viewpoints and mountains of Montenegro while waiting for Manchester City and Barcelona to resolve their negotiations. He does not want to stay in Manchester because the club failed to value him financially when he was officially the best player in the world, so there is little reason for them to offer him a pay rise now. He does not want Real Madrid; he wants Barcelona. And yesterday he informed Los Blancos of his decision, prompting the club to close that chapter because Real Madrid never pursue players who prefer Barcelona over them.🚨 Barcelona offer Manchester City ~€45m + add-ons to sign Rodri. #MCFC regard as nowhere near level needed to negotiate sale + insist no meaningful talks taking place as bid considered serious yet to be made. #FCBarcelona know price ~€80m @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/gTLT673NDS— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 7, 2026 "Out of respect for Real Madrid, who behaved like gentlemen, Rodri informed them of his decision that he wants to join Barcelona," his agent Pablo Barquero said. Rodri did not want to wait for Real Madrid, whose priorities were negotiations for Yan Diomande and Vinícius Junior. After speaking with Barcelona coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco, he gave the green light for a move to Catalonia. Former coach Pep Guardiola also helped Barcelona, speaking with Rodri and explaining why the Blaugrana would be the best option if he had already decided to leave City. An agreement has been reached with Barcelona over a salary of 15 million euros net per season (30 million gross) on a four-year contract. Now comes the more difficult part.Rodri says ‘Yes’!….to BarcaBarcelona's opening offer is 45 million euros fixed plus 10–15 million in bonuses. Manchester City have been signalling this summer that they would not let Rodri leave for less than 70 million, but that is merely an opening negotiating position. They also understand that they have been backed into a corner with a player entering the final year of his contract. City rejected Barcelona's first offer, while British media report that the Citizens would readily accept 65 million guaranteed. So Barcelona's task is to increase the offer slightly and agree on the structure and attainability of the bonuses. Barca hope to finance a significant portion of Rodri's transfer by selling Marc Casado, who never really fitted Hansi Flick's style. Saudi club Al Hilal are offering 30 million, while Barcelona want 40 million for Casado, although a European buyer could still enter the race.El Clasico is spectacle, but let us present you with Barca vs. Real war for RodriOn the pitch, Rodri will not replace Casado, but Frenkie de Jong, who is facing surgery and several months on the sidelines. Rodri likes the role Barcelona have planned for him and the club's traditional possession-based style, although Flick has introduced a more direct and vertical approach than those associated with Cruyff and Guardiola. What Barcelona expect most from Rodri, however, is his defensive contribution. The team's high defensive line has often been vulnerable and criticised because there was not enough pressure on the ball in midfield. Rodri is magnificent in that aspect and should provide the perfect shield in front of the back four while helping Barcelona retain possession, an area in which Casado was a weak point.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883830##He will also have several Spain teammates waiting for him — Cubarsí, Pedri, Olmo, Gavi, Yamal, Torres and the two Garcías — which should make adapting to the team and new surroundings considerably easier. At Real Madrid, everything would have been different: Mourinho, a relatively new squad and a still undefined style of play. Barcelona hope to reach an agreement with Manchester City as quickly as possible so they can spend the remainder of the transfer window addressing their most pressing problem: the centre-forward position. They want Julian Alvarez, while they are also at risk of losing Ferran Torres, so that situation needs to be resolved. As for Manchester City, they are aware that they cannot force Rodri to stay and are already searching for his replacement. Manager Maresca would most like to bring in Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, but he is not the same profile of player and would not come cheaply. The club would rather see Ayoub Bouaddi from Lille become Rodri's replacement, but the French side are demanding too much money.