Rodri arrives in Barcelona to complete 'dream' transfer

Spain midfielder Rodri arrived in Barcelona on Monday to finalise his transfer from Manchester City. Barcelona are paying City roughly £65m for the 30-year-old, who will sign a four-year contract with the La Liga champions.

Speaking to journalists at the airport, Rodri said joining Barcelona had always been a dream and that he was relieved the intense negotiations of recent days had been resolved. He said he was eager to reunite with new team-mates, many of whom he already knows from the national team, and was ready to get to work. He added that his ambition with Barcelona is to win the Champions League and other trophies.

Seven trophy-laden seasons at City

Rodri spent seven successful seasons at Manchester City, making 298 appearances since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019 in a deal that was then a club record at about £62.8m. He missed much of the 2024-25 season with a serious knee injury, and a hamstring problem disrupted part of last season. However, he returned to top form at this summer's World Cup, helping Spain win their second title and being named player of the tournament.

During his time at City, Rodri won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the 2022-23 Champions League. Last week City turned down Barcelona's opening £38.5m bid for the midfielder, who was entering the final year of his Etihad Stadium contract. Real Madrid had appeared to be his likely next destination, but Barcelona stepped up their pursuit in recent days to secure the signing.