Ballon d’Or winner Rodri joins Barcelona from Manchester City in £64.5m deal

The Spain international midfielder has finalized his transfer from the Etihad Stadium to the Catalan giants in a deal worth £64.5million. The Manchester club turned away two previous offers before accepting the package that met their valuation of the World Cup-winning player. His departure brings to an end a seven-season spell in Manchester, during which he claimed the Ballon d’Or and then suffered a serious knee injury in September 2024 that sidelined him for approximately two years. He delivered crucial performances in the latter half of the previous campaign as City secured a domestic cup double, though it was during the World Cup with Spain that he demonstrated a return to his peak form. The 30-year-old arrived back in Manchester on the eve of the Community Shield fixture but remained behind when the squad departed for Cardiff. He underwent minor back surgery following the World Cup and his timeline for returning to first-team action and making his Barcelona debut remains unclear. The club are working to fill the void left by his departure, with negotiations for Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi progressing and an ongoing interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez despite the west London club’s deadline passing without agreement. Upon his exit, he expressed that he was departing with immense pride in their collective accomplishments and gratitude for the countless unforgettable moments they shared. He first wished to thank the entire staff for their support and contribution to his development into the player he became, before extending special appreciation to all his teammates, past and present, who made each day at the club a genuine pleasure. He described it as an extraordinary privilege to have shared the changing room and pitch with them. He also reserved particular praise for the supporters, noting they made him feel welcome in Manchester from his very first day and stood by him through every high and low. He thanked them for their backing of both him and the team, stating it was a genuine honour to perform before them and that his loyalty would forever remain with the club. These seven years had been extraordinary, he said, with every moment of what they accomplished together deeply cherished and Manchester City forever in his heart.