Barcelona have made a shock transfer to attempt to signal Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City.
The 30-year-old has lower than 12 months left on his contract on the Etihad and has been focused by Actual Madrid this summer time with president Florentino Perez performing a u-turn after beforehand suggesting the membership weren’t within the former Atletico Madrid midfielder.
However with no signal of a deal being struck, it has allowed Madrid’s La Liga rivals Barcelona to make their transfer.
De Jong harm complicates issues for Barcelona
Rodri would slot in completely at Camp Nou given Barca’s type of play is just like that employed by each Metropolis and Spain. He received the 2024 Ballon d’Or and was awarded the Golden Ball for greatest participant on the 2026 World Cup after main Spain to the title.
Barca are exploring the opportunity of bringing him to Catalonia as a result of doubts over the health of Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong suffered a tear of the MCL in his proper knee on the World Cup however opted towards surgical procedure, preferring a ‘conservative technique of remedy’, albeit which will change relying on his progress.
If an operation is required then De Jong can be sidelined for a number of months, leaving Barca a person gentle in a key place.
The place does this depart Actual Madrid?
Madrid opened talks with Metropolis final week however switch guru Fabrizio Romano stated no settlement was reached as a result of Metropolis’s perception that different golf equipment would enter the race and due to this fact ramp up the value.
Madrid, now beneath the returning Jose Mourinho, want to bolster their squad after two seasons and not using a main trophy. One contributing issue has been the shortage of expertise in midfield following the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Rodri would offer that after proving on the World Cup he was again to his greatest after struggling to regain high type following a cruciate ligament harm in September 2024.
Metropolis have been making an attempt to influence him to signal a brand new deal however the supply has been left on the desk for a number of months and it appears the Etihad membership have accepted the participant needs to maneuver on.
What has Rodri stated a couple of attainable transfer again to Spain?
Rodri, who’s at present recovering from a minor again operation, has flirted with the concept of transferring again to his homeland for a number of months, saying in March: “Having performed for Atlético [in 2018-19] earlier than wouldn’t forestall me from taking part in for Actual Madrid. There are different gamers who’ve executed that earlier than. Possibly not direct transfers, however finally. You may’t flip down one of many world’s greatest golf equipment.”
His departure can be a significant blow to new Metropolis boss Enzo Maresca.
Speaking in his first press conference as City boss final month, Maresca expressed calm over the hypothesis.
“To start with, we now have to say that round huge gamers there may be all the time hypothesis,” Maresca stated.
“So I’m not fearful about that, it’s regular, additionally as a result of they [Spain] received the World Cup – he is without doubt one of the greatest gamers.
“I feel each supervisor desires to have Rodri, as a result of he’s a high participant.
“However now, surgical procedure [on a back problem] on Monday, after which he wants vacation, he must relaxation, restoration, after which he might be again right here with us.”
