How Villarreal helped Barcelona save a small fee in the Rodri operation | OneFootball

Barcelona reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Rodri, and the Spanish midfielder is already in the Catalan capital.

Upon reaching Barça, Rodri made it clear when speaking to the media at the airport that he was coming to win the Champions League for the Catalan club.

The Spanish midfielder is a transformative signing for Hansi Flick’s team and can help them get closer to the elusive trophy.

Barça have made a significant financial commitment, both in terms of salary and the transfer fee, to sign a player in his 30s with just a year left on his contract.

Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will receive a small financial benefit when registering Rodri, thanks to the midfielder’s previous spell at Villarreal.

A Villarreal assist to Barça

Barça will not have to pay the €57,809 fee normally required by the Spanish Football Federation for a player’s first registration in Spanish professional football.

The reason is simple.

Rodri will undergo his Barcelona medical today. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Rodri was already registered as a senior player in Spain during his time with Villarreal, meaning the initial federation payment was made years ago when he stepped up to the first team.

Atletico Madrid subsequently benefited from the same situation when they signed him, as they also did not have to pay the fee again.

Barcelona will now get to enjoy that small saving.

Minor detail in a huge operation

The figure is obviously tiny compared to the overall cost of signing Rodri.

Barcelona are expected to pay around €60 million fixed plus roughly €16 million in variables, while the midfielder has signed a four-year contract running until 2030.

In that context, €57,809 barely registers. Still, every small saving matters at a club like Barça, where the finances are still very much on a noose string.

Gordon and Adeyemi will cost more to register

Barcelona will not receive the same benefit with Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi.

Rodri rejected Real Madrid to sign for Barcelona. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Both are arriving in Spanish football for the first time, meaning the club will have to pay the corresponding €57,809 registration fee for each of them.

That takes the combined cost for the pair to €115,618.

Thus, it helps the Catalan club, as they do not need to add to their expenses when it comes to registering Rodri.

Rodri’s time at Villarreal is usually remembered as an important step in his development before he moved on to Atletico Madrid and then Manchester City.

Since then, his career has gone to a different level, with the Spanish superstar winning the Ballon d’Or in 2024.

Now, he returns to Spain to play for Barça in what is likely his last major move, and it remains to be seen how he gets on under Hansi Flick.