Rodri is set for his first Champions League appearance in Barcelona colours on Wednesday. The Spain midfielder heads a group of new arrivals named by Flick for the league-phase opener against Feyenoord, alongside Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus and England winger Anthony Gordon.
Barcelona completed the €76.5m signing of Rodri from Manchester City on 18 August, tying the 30-year-old to a contract until 2030. The reported package comprises €60m fixed plus add-ons. Rodri, a Ballon d’Or winner and Spain’s World Cup-winning midfielder, came off the bench in Barcelona’s 5-2 league win over Rayo Vallecano.
“For me, it’s a dream to play for Barcelona. I’m excited about being with my teammates,” Rodri said on joining the club.
Deadline-day arrival for Jesus
Gabriel Jesus arrived from Arsenal on transfer deadline day. Barcelona announced the three-year deal on 1 September, filling the striker gap left by the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. The Catalan club had spent much of the summer in a failed pursuit of Julián Álvarez.
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“I’m not offended… I have the chance to be here at Barcelona. It’s a dream for me,” Jesus told Al Jazeera.
Flick’s assessment of the 29-year-old was warm.
“I really love him. I like his style to play football. It fits with our style,” the German said.
€80m signing from Newcastle
Anthony Gordon, the third headline arrival, joined from Newcastle for an initial €80m on 30 May on a five-year deal. The 25-year-old scored 17 goals for Newcastle across all competitions last season, 10 of them in 12 Champions League appearances.
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“As soon as I knew that Barca was interested, there was never any question. This is the stuff I dreamed of as a child,” Gordon said.
Third straight league win as warm-up
Barcelona head into Wednesday’s opener off the back of a 5-2 home win over Rayo Vallecano on Monday, a third consecutive victory to start their La Liga campaign. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal both scored twice, with a Florian Lejeune own goal completing the scoring. Sergio Camello opened the visitors’ account after 12 minutes.
Van Bronckhorst back at Feyenoord
Feyenoord travel to Catalonia under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, rehired in June after the Rotterdam club dismissed Robin van Persie. The Dutchman previously coached Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title in 2017 and led Rangers to the 2022 Europa League final.
Kick-off is on Wednesday, 9 September.
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