Rodri’s transfer to Barcelona is getting closer and closer to being officially completed. The Catalan club and the player have already agreed on all personal terms, while talks with Manchester City are now in the final stages. The two clubs are working toward an agreement involving a fixed fee plus add-ons that would satisfy both sides, with only a few details still preventing the deal from being officially announced. The negotiations have entered the final stretch after the significant gap between City’s asking price and Barcelona’s initial offer was overcome.
The agreement with the player, whose contract expires in a year, had already been finalized a few days ago. The only issue remaining was for the two clubs to agree on the transfer fee. That part of the negotiations is now also nearing completion, with only a few final details to be resolved before the clubs begin exchanging the necessary documentation for the signing.
Hansi Flick could have Rodri at his disposal as early as this week, although City manager Enzo Maresca has said that, for now, the midfielder is expected to report on Friday for the start of Manchester City’s preseason work. The German coach wants to prepare for Barcelona’s LaLiga opener, which is now two weeks away, knowing exactly which players will be available to him for the season. Although there will still be arrivals and departures until August 31, Flick wants the club’s priority cases to be settled as soon as possible.
And Rodri is one of those priorities. He was not initially considered one at the start of the transfer window, nor even at the end of the World Cup. However, the player’s doubts about joining Real Madrid, combined with the fact that an agreement with the Spanish giants that was practically finalized was never formally completed, ultimately gave greater weight to Rodri’s footballing preference. He feels more closely aligned with the footballing philosophy of Barcelona and Pep Guardiola, leading him to choose the LaLiga champions.
Flick therefore hopes to have Rodri available at virtually the same time as the rest of the world champions, who are due to begin training this Wednesday.
