Manchester City have accepted a £65.4m bid from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri, bringing an end to his seven-year spell at the Etihad Stadium. The deal, which follows two rejected offers from the Spanish giants, could be officially confirmed this week.
Rodri's departure comes just hours after City lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield. The Blues had hoped the Ballon d'Or winner would sign a new contract, but with his deal entering its final year, it became clear he would not commit. City set a benchmark of over £60m, which Barcelona met.
End of an era for Rodri
Rodri established himself as the best player in world football during his time at City before a serious knee issue in September 2024 cost him nearly two years of action. He returned in May 2025 and played a substantial part in City winning two trophies last season, but did not rediscover his best form until he captained Spain to World Cup glory in the summer.
With Rodri on his way out, City are moving to replace him. Talks with Lille for Ayyoub Bouaddi are advancing, while interest remains in Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez, despite City missing the deadline set by Chelsea to launch a bid.
Grealish's future uncertain
Jack Grealish's future at City remains uncertain. The 30-year-old winger played 45 minutes against Arsenal on Sunday, and manager Enzo Maresca has opened the door to him staying at the club. Grealish has started just one Premier League game since December 2024, and spent last season on loan at Everton, where he suffered a serious injury.
He was not included in City's pre-season tour to Asia, working individually in Mallorca instead, but has trained with the squad for the last week. Maresca said: "Jack was inside when we were 2-0 down so the game already became complicated after that, but overall I think Jack was good. The ones that are still here and want to work every day and if they deserve they're going to get minutes. At the moment the transfer window is open and we will see what happens."
Grealish is still expected to leave either permanently or on loan before the transfer window shuts, but Maresca was happy with his performance in Cardiff. Elsewhere, Tijjani Reijnders is set to leave City for £50m one year after joining, while the futures of Savinho and Grealish remain in the balance.
