Barcelona’s move to sign Rodri appeared just a matter of time last week. But it appears the club are facing immense economic problems in meeting Manchester City’s demands.
The Catalans have already ruled out completing the Rodri anytime soon, even though personal agreement won’t be a problem for the club.
Barcelona have also had their second offer rejected by Manchester City, who are holding out for a sky-high valuation.
Man City want €70-80 million in fixed fee
According to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester City are looking for a fixed fee of around €70-80 million for Rodri.
All eyes on Rodri’s future. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
This is despite the fact that the midfielder has less than 12 months remaining on his contract at Etihad and at 30, he is already in the final phase of his career.
Man City are looking to leverage the fact that Rodri is a Ballon d’Or winner and is one of the favourites to win the coveted trophy yet again this year.
Rodri is also the captain of the Spanish national team that won the World Cup this summer, with the midifleder bagging the Golden Ball forward. All of these factors have skyrocketed his value.
Barcelona’s valuation for Rodri
Widespread reports across Spain suggested that Barcelona are willing to pay around €50 million for Rodri, with an additonal €5 million to be paid through bonuses.
Rodri was the captain of the Spain’s World Cup winning team. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Barcelona’s original bid was rejected and latest discussions are centred around a valuation of up to €65 million including add-ons.
But that falls short of Manchester City’s valuation, with the Premier League giants keen on receiving at least €70 million in fixed fees.
This makes things interesting as Barcelona certainly cannot afford to overpay for a midfielder at a time when the club desperately need to sign a new forward.
Ferran Torres is on the verge of leaving PSG while Robert Lewandowski left the club on a free transfer at the end of last season.
Although the money coming in from the Ferran deal will help, it is still uncertain how much it will impact the Rodri deal. The coming days, therefore, could be crucial.