Barça officially sign WC star Rodri from Man City

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  Sam MarsdenAug 18, 2026, 12:40 PM ET

Barcelona have completed the signing of Manchester City midfielder Rodri in a transfer worth an initial €60 million (£51m / $69m), the two clubs have confirmed.

City could make an additional €16.5m (£14m / $19m) on the deal if a series of add-ons, related to Rodri's achievements at Barça, are met in the coming years.

Rodri, 30, has agreed a four-year deal with the Spanish champions and sources told ESPN he turned down an approach from Real Madrid to push through the move to Spotify Camp Nou.

The Spain captain, who was named the Player of the Tournament as La Roja won the World Cup this summer, bolsters a midfield which already includes Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Dani Olmo and Fermín López.

Barça had not begun the summer desperate to sign a midfielder but moved quickly to bring in Rodri, who had just one year to run on his contract at City, once it became clear he was available.

With De Jong set for a spell on the sidelines injured and coach Hansi Flick keen to add more leaders to the squad, Rodri was viewed as a "statement signing," a source said, who can help Barça improve immediately.

"We need players with this leadership on the pitch," Flick said in April despite winning back-to-back LaLiga titles. "This is important in these [key] moments.

"It's about speaking or telling a teammate 'One or two metres left or right, or press.' This is what we need on the pitch, more to speak.

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"In training I am really happy. But in the moment, in a quarterfinal or a semifinal in the Champions League, we also need this, players who are measured and able to show where we must go on the pitch."

Rodri came through at Villarreal and Atlético Madrid before joining City in 2019.

He has since won almost everything there is to win in the game, both collectively and individually.

In addition to four Premier League titles and a Champions League with City, he has also won the European Championships and World Cup with Spain, being named Player of the Tournament at both championships.

Success at the Euros led to him winning the Ballon d'Or in 2024, making him the first Spanish man to win it since Luis Suárez in 1960.