Barcelona tried to sign Manchester City’s midfield general in 2017 – report | OneFootball

In 2017, Barcelona attempted to secure Rodri, who has now risen to Ballon d’Or status, when he was still with Villarreal, claims an interesting report from Mundo Deportivo.

Journalist Jose Luis Artus mentions that Barcelona saw Rodri as a promising future replacement for Sergio Busquets, but they acted too late.

Rodri, only 21 at the time, was already a well-regarded player in Spain’s Under-21 setup and had drawn attention due to his impressive skills in the midfield.

However, despite Barcelona’s interest, he had already committed verbally to Atletico Madrid Madrid by the time the Catalan club made a serious approach. This deal, however, remained unofficial until May 2018.

The back story

Rodri had recently renewed his contract with Villarreal until 2022, which included a release clause that increased from €12 million to €25 million.

Villarreal made this strategic move knowing that several top clubs, including Barcelona, were monitoring him closely. This allowed the La Liga team to negotiate a better financial outcome if another club were to activate his release clause.

Barcelona could have signed Rodri in 2017. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Eventually, Atletico Madrid paid the higher amount to secure Rodri, splitting the payment into €20 million as a base amount plus an additional €5 million in performance-based bonuses.

From strength to strength

Today, Rodri is widely recognised as one of the best midfielders of his generation, blending a skilful passing game with excellent defensive qualities.

His development journey began with Atletico Madrid’s academy before moving to Villarreal’s youth setup. After a period in Villarreal’s senior team, he returned to Atletico Madrid and eventually transferred to Manchester City for a significant €70 million fee.

Under Pep Guardiola at Man City, his game has advanced to new heights, cementing his reputation in European football.

Had Barcelona acted sooner, they might have had one of today’s finest midfield talents within their squad. In fact, this would have saved them the future troubles they faced while replacing Busquets.