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16 August 2026

2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is set to return to his native Spain.

Rodri is on course to join Barcelona from Manchester City.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who on Sunday night gave the proposed move his trademark ‘here we go’ confirmation.

That report was soon followed by The Athletic and David Ornstein, who said the La Liga champions will pay €76.5million to the Premier League club for the midfielder, made up of a fixed €60m fee and more than €11m in easily achievable add-ons. Rodri is understood to have agreed a four-year contract at the Nou Camp.

The Spain international had been strongly linked with a move back home as he entered the final year of his contract, while Real Madrid were also believed to be among the possible admirers of the 30-year-old.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was not involved for his club in the 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal in Cardiff on Sunday, after being given an extended break following his and Spain’s World Cup triumph earlier this summer.

He was not even included in the matchday squad at the Principality Stadium, where new £116million signing Elliot Anderson started alongside Mateo Kovacic in Enzo Maresca’s double pivot, and Nico came on during the second half.

It now appears Rodri has played his final match for City, with reports stating that Barcelona and City have reached an agreement to take him back to La Liga, where he first established himself at Atletico Madrid.

During his spell at the Etihad Stadium, Rodri made 196 appearances for the club and scored 23 goals, including the winner in the 2023 Champions League final that secured Pep Guardiola’s side their first European title.

He has been in England since 2019, becoming the world’s best player in that period and also winning the treble in 2023.

The midfielder won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and three League Cups.

In Maresca’s words, City are looking to be “active” in the transfer market during the closing days of the window.

They are in discussions with Lille over a possible move for 18-year-old Moroccan talent Ayyoub Bouaddi, while Savinho is pushing to leave the Etihad Stadium in favour of a transfer to Tottenham.