Barcelona have signed Spanish midfielder, Rodri from Manchester City in a £65.4m transfer.
Rodri’s move comes after prolonged negotiations between Barcelona and Man City after the latter initially demanded £68.36m, whilst the reigning La Liga champions offered £51.27m in their first official offer.
Both clubs eventually were able to reach an agreement totalling £65.36m, which consisted of a fixed £51.27m fee plus a further £14,09m in add-ons, with Rodri having signed a four-year contract until June 2030 at the Nou Camp.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner penned a farewell message on City’s website in which he spoke of his memories and playing under Pep Guardiola.
“Dear City fans, I found that saying goodbye is one of the most difficult things in life but I am going to try.
“It’s hard to find the words to express how much gratitude, love and support me and my family have experienced all these years.
“I remember how I felt when I arrived, signing for the big Manchester City. It was a moment of pure excitement – ‘wow I am going to play with Kevin, Aguero, Silva, Bernardo, John and many others.’ I couldn’t stop smiling.
“And then Pep, waiting to teach me everything from day one. Pep I can tell you now, I couldn’t handle all those tactics in my head.
“But a question came to me, ‘could we handle all these expectations for the next years.’ I think that time answered the question.
“I knew I came into a top team but I never thought we could be able to create the legacy we made winning trophies, fans around the world, love and respect. We made an example to inspire the next generations not only because the success, also because the way we did it. And the fans were with us every step of the way.
“Many incredible moments come to my mind.
“My first trophy at City, in my first game.
“The last minute winners, like Arsenal away.
“Scoring in the Villa game to reach the Premier League, when it looked so tough.
“Scoring the goal to win the Champions League that we all wanted so much.
“The incredible reception you gave me after the Balon d’Or. You cannot imagine how proud I am to be the first player to win his award in a sky blue shirt.
“Making history, with the Treble, with Four in a Row. We saw things they’ll never see.
“And in the bad moments, also, you never let me down. My first day back on the pitch I realised how much you love me and I understood how special these fans were.
“City didn’t just make me a grow as a player. They made me grow as a human.
“I saw my brother graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University.
“I could see my girlfriend working for the NHS.
“Manchester shaped my whole life.
“I will never forget stepping onto the pitch, seeing a sea of blue sing ‘nah, nah, nah, nah…CITY’, taking my scooter into town for a coffee, walking through the parks listening to Oasis and always loving Manchester’s great rain.
“So City fans, it’s time to say goodbye, thanks to the club, the fans, the staff and my teammates. This journey couldn’t be the same without you, my heart will always be Blue.”
Rodri first arrived at City from Atletico Madrid in July 2019 and has gone to score 28 goals in 298 appearances across all competitions in seven seasons, during which he contributed to 13 pieces of silverware in his time at the club:
- 4 x Premier League (2020-21, 21-22, 22-23, 23-24)
- 3 x EFL Cup (2019-20, 20-21, 25-26)
- 2 x FA Cup (2022-23, 25-26)
- 1 x FA Community Shield (2019)
- 1 x UEFA Champions League (2022-23)
- 1 x UEFA Super Cup (2023)
- 1 x FIFA Club World Cup (2023)
During his time at City, Rodri achieved 64 of his 70 total international senior caps for Spain in which he scored all four of his international goals, and was part of Spain’s UEFA Nations League success in 2022 which was followed by UEFA Euro 2024 and 2026 FIFA World Cup titles.
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