Manchester City midfielder Rodri has reportedly opened the door to Barcelona. For the first time he has told the club he’s ready to talk about personal terms. According to reports, the 30-year-old, who captained Spain to World Cup glory and walked away with the Golden Ball, has spoken to both Joan Laporta and Hansi Flick. As per Fabrizio Romano, Rodri has given Barca the green light to push ahead. A contract proposal is already sitting with his agents and the Catalan side have also been in touch with Manchester City. His current deal runs till June 2027, so there’s still a year left.

Real Madrid had been talking to him for weeks and looked like the favourites, but those conversations did not go through due to money. As per reports, Manchester City want somewhere between €60-80 million while both Spanish clubs are hovering around the €50-60 million mark. Barcelona are still being careful though as they won’t go all in until Rodri tells City what he actually wants.

If this deal goes through, Barcelona gets a midfielder who can dominate games and give their side a good balance. Real Madrid would be left looking at a missed opportunity after weeks of work. Manchester City have already brought in a few new faces and seem ready to move on if the price is right. The window is still open, so the next few days should tell us whether Rodri is heading back to Spain in a Barcelona shirt instead of a white one.

Barcelona's Midfield Crisis Opened the Door for Rodri

Barcelona were in trouble after Frenkie de Jong picked up a knee ligament injury at the World Cup. They needed midfield cover and they moved fast. Flick himself picked up the phone and talked Rodri through the project. The style under Flick is very similar to what Rodri did so well with Pep at Manchester City with lots of possession, high press, controlling the middle of the park. On top of that, he will be walking into a dressing room full of Spain teammates from the World Cup squad. Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Lamine Yama all are part of Barcelona.

That familiarity factor seems to have counted for a lot more than the Real Madrid pull. Barcelona will have to manage the negotiations with Manchester City and find a number both sides can agree upon. As per reports, Manchester City aren’t exactly desperate to sell a Ballon d’Or winner with a year left on his contract. Real Madrid haven’t completely gone away either, which is why Barcelona are taking it step by step. Rodri has a big contract with City and it will be interesting how things pan out for the Spanish Star going forward.