Barcelona explore deal for Manchester City’s Rodri | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Rodri is now the subject of transfer interest from Barcelona this summer having long been linked with Real Madrid.

The 30-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu this summer as he firmly enters into the final 12 months of his Etihad Stadium agreement, without committing to new deal terms.

Officials at Manchester City are unsurprisingly keen to retain the player at least for the final year of his contract, and are understood to have placed a financially boosted contract offer on the table to the FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder.

However, the longer the player goes without agreeing to new terms at City, the increased chance there is of an exit this summer, and those within the Etihad are seemingly fielding a war for the player’s signature during the ongoing transfer market.

Barcelona enter race to sign Rodri

Now, according to The Athletic’s Pol Ballus and Mario Cortegana, Barcelona are exploring a deal to sign Manchester City’s Rodri, having held talks with the player’s camp over the conditions of a potential deal.

The Barcelona project is said to appeal to the Manchester City midfielder based on the fit with the Camp Nou club’s footballing style and an expected smooth adaptation to a dressing room where he would be reunited with eight members of Spain’s World Cup winning squad.

How could Manchester City replace Rodri?

Hugo Viana – Manchester City’s Director of Football – has been at the negotiating table for the duration of the ongoing market, fielding both interest in Enzo Maresca’s playing squad as well as remaining in dialogue over potential recruits.

Having signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a flat fee worth £116 million earlier in the summer, attentions very quickly turned to other areas of the squad including right-back, the winger role, and further reinforcement in the centre of the park.

Lille and Morocco wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi is believed to be a primary target, although there remains complications over the ability to lure the French side into a transfer this summer below their €100 million valuation.