Barcelona reach agreement in principle with Manchester City for Rodri | OneFootball

Rodri Hernández will play for Barcelona this season after an agreement in principle with Manchester City, El Periódico Mediterráneo reports. The overall fee is set and executives are exchanging contracts so the move can be confirmed. He may even be unveiled at the Joan Gamper.

Barcelona will pay a hefty fee that is likely to exceed 60 million after City rejected the first two proposals. João Cancelo will arrive on a free transfer and, as former City team-mates from 2019 to 2023, the pair are set to reunite within days.

Once they land and sign, on four and two-season deals respectively, they will become the club’s fourth and fifth additions for the campaign.

Flick still lacks a centre forward after Robert Lewandowski’s exit, a gap widened by Ferran Torres joining Paris Saint Germain at his own request. The preferred option, Julian Álvarez, has become the most complicated deal of the window.

Rodri brings authority and experience, having been named the best player at Euro 2024 and at the 2026 World Cup, and is the reigning Ballon d’Or. He turned 30 on 22 June.

The holding midfielder should fit immediately, his style aligning with Barcelona’s. He has played alongside eight Barcelona internationals for Spain, and Flick values his tactical and positional profile. Pep Guardiola signed him in 2019 after spells at Villarreal and Atlético, paying a 70 million release clause.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”