Manchester City set €80 million asking price for Barcelona midfield target – report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are moving forward swiftly in their pursuit of Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.

The 30-year-old World Cup winner has given his green light for the Blaugrana to begin negotiations with his club over a move, while also agreeing a four-year contract with the La Liga champions.

Manchester City, for their part, remain intent on trying to convince Rodri to renew his contract and remain at the Etihad Stadium, but the player has shown no inclination of wanting to do that.

€80 million asking price

Given the situation, The Athletic reports that Manchester City have set a base asking price of €80 million for Rodri amid strong interest from Barcelona.

Man City want €80 million for Rodri. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Even though his contract has less than 12 months left, the Cityzens believe that this figure properly reflects his quality, especially after an exceptional World Cup campaign where he led Spain to the trophy and won the Golden Ball.

Recent reports in Spain suggested that Barça are preparing an opening offer of around €45 million in fixed fees with an additional €15 million in performance-related bonuses.

However, if the report from The Athletic is to be believed, the bid under works would fall well below Manchester City’s valuation for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.

Talks to continue

Both clubs will continue talks with the goal of reaching an agreement as Rodri has firmly set his sights on a summer transfer to the Spotify Camp Nou.

Rodri wants to join Barcelona. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Barcelona are back under La Liga’s 1:1 spending rule this summer, so every euro earned through sales or freed up through salary can directly be invested in new signings.

Robert Lewandowski’s departure has also freed up a large chunk of salary space, putting the Blaugrana in a strong position economically, compared to some of the recent summers.

However, whether they would be willing to meet Manchester City’s tall asking price for Rodri, when they are also prioritising a new striker signing remains to be seen.

Despite this, confidence remains within Can Barça about being able to close the deal for the 30-year-old Spain captain.