sports

Rodri Set for Barcelona Medicals After £60m Deal

Published

1 month ago

August 17, 2026

Rodri Barcelona transfer moves closer as the Manchester City midfielder prepares for medical tests before signing a four-year deal with the Catalan club

Rodri is set to undergo medical tests with Barcelona on Monday, 17 August 2026, after Manchester City and the Spanish club reached an agreement for the Spain midfielder’s transfer.

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The 30-year-old Manchester City midfielder was absent from Enzo Maresca’s squad for Sunday’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal as the final stages of his move to Barcelona gathered pace.

Rodri is expected to travel to Barcelona to complete his medical and finalise personal terms before signing a contract that will keep him at the Catalan club until June 2030.

Football transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano confirmed the development on Monday.

“Rodri has authorization to fly to Barcelona today, Monday ahead of move being completed,” Romano reported.

“Medical booked by Barcelona and Rodri will sign a four year deal until June 2030 this week.”

The agreement is understood to include a €60 million fixed fee, with a further €6 million in achievable add-ons and €10 million in more difficult performance-related bonuses.

The potential €76 million package would make the move a significant investment for Barcelona as the club continues to reshape its midfield.

Rodri’s departure would also represent a major change for Manchester City, where the midfielder has established himself as one of the most influential players of the modern era.

Since joining City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, Rodri has played a central role in the club’s success, helping City win multiple Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.

His importance to City’s midfield was further underlined by his individual recognition, including winning the Ballon d’Or in 2024 after helping the club to another successful period domestically and contributing to Spain’s European Championship triumph.

The midfielder’s ability to control possession, dictate the tempo and provide defensive protection has made him one of the most highly regarded players in his position.

Barcelona’s interest therefore reflects a desire to add experience and control to a midfield that has increasingly relied on technically gifted young players.

For Rodri, the proposed move would represent a return to Spanish football after seven years in England.

Before moving to Manchester City, he spent one season at Atletico Madrid after beginning his senior career with Villarreal.

A move to Barcelona would give Rodri the opportunity to continue his career in La Liga while joining one of European football’s most decorated clubs.

The timing of his departure from Manchester City is particularly striking, given his status as Spain captain and his importance to the English champions.

City’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield also provided an immediate indication of the challenge facing Maresca as preparations for the new season continue.

With Rodri now preparing to complete his transfer, Barcelona supporters will be hoping the midfielder can bring the same composure and authority that made him such a formidable presence in England.

Also read: Chukwueze Finds New Lease of Life Under Amorim

Subject to a successful medical, Rodri is expected to sign his Barcelona contract this week, bringing an impressive chapter of his Manchester City career to a close and beginning a new challenge in Spain.

Opinion

Why Are Football Fans Expecting Trophy Haul from Man City’s 114 Breaches?

Published

2 hours ago

September 30, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Tai Emeka Obasi,

It is exceedingly terrible for clubs operating in a league as supremely elite as the English Premier League, EPL, to fraudulently cheat themselves to massive success.

Also read: NFF Appeals CAF Ruling on Edo Queens’ WAFU-B Victory

Rules are rules, and supposedly responsible club managements should comply with them in administering a game termed the beautiful game.

Manchester City is currently in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons.

A whopping 115 breaches were brought against the club, with reports now indicating that an independent commission found City guilty of 114 of them.

The club, however, maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed and subject to strict confidentiality.

Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, has appealed to the fans to remain calm and faithful, insisting that the club will continue to defend its position and pursue the available legal process.

According to reports, Manchester City is expected to appeal the verdict. The sanctions have not yet been announced, and the possible consequences could include a heavy fine, points deduction, stripping of titles or even relegation.

From the available reporting, however, there is no basis for football fans to start celebrating the prospect of receiving Manchester City’s trophies.

Even if titles were eventually stripped, the relevant period under investigation is 2009 to 2018.

During that period, Manchester City won three Premier League titles, in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18, as well as three League Cups, in 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2017/18.

That immediately puts a different complexion on the matter.

For instance, Manchester United finished runners-up to City in the 2011/12 and 2017/18 Premier League seasons, while Liverpool finished second in 2013/14.

But whether those titles would actually be reassigned to the runners-up is another matter entirely.

There is no automatic rule that says a stripped title simply moves to the team that finished second. Any such outcome would depend on the eventual sanction imposed by the relevant authorities.

The same applies to Arsenal and the League Cup. Arsenal were beaten by City in the 2018 final, but that does not mean Arsenal would automatically inherit the trophy if City were sanctioned.

Expert opinion has suggested that the eventual punishment could include a substantial financial penalty and a huge points deduction, potentially severe enough to threaten City with relegation.

But until the sanction is formally determined, nobody can say with certainty what punishment Manchester City will receive.

For Gunners fans, therefore, we should lower our expectations from City’s debacle. Even if Manchester City are eventually found guilty after the appeal process and even if they are relegated, Arsenal will not stroll to this season’s title.

Our last match against Brighton and Hove Albion is a huge warning that our squad is not as complete as it is generally acclaimed to be.