Rodri has told Real Madrid he is joining Barcelona, his agent said on Friday.
Personal terms with the Catalans are done, and Manchester City are now in negotiations with Barcelona over a transfer fee reported to be in the region of €60 million.
“Out of respect for Madrid, as they have been class, Rodri informed them that his decision is to join Barça,” Pablo Barquero told Cadena SER’s El Larguero programme, in quotes carried by Caught Offside.
Real Madrid had spent weeks as the presumptive destination for the Spain captain, and Manchester City had opened talks with the Bernabéu club.
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“Real Madrid made an unrefusable offer to Rodri after the World Cup,” the agent said, according to World Soccer Talk.
He added that both sides had been in positive talks for two weeks before Rodri opted for “another offer”.
Four years, €30 million a season
The contract on the table at Barcelona runs for four years at a gross salary of about €30 million per season, according to Barca Universal. Manchester City are expected to receive around €60 million, though the fee between the clubs has not yet been finalised.
Flick’s system and the Spain dressing room
Two things tilted the decision, according to reporting in Madrid and Barcelona. Rodri sees Hansi Flick’s build-up-heavy system as a natural fit for his own game, and the Spain dressing room at Barcelona already includes several of his World Cup-winning international team-mates.
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Barcelona’s contact with the player’s camp only stepped up in the final days before the announcement. Until then, the Bernabéu had been the more advanced option, with president Florentino Pérez and new head coach José Mourinho both personally involved in the pursuit.
A blow for Manchester City
Losing Rodri would take away Manchester City’s defensive anchor at the start of Enzo Maresca’s first season, the Italian having taken over from Pep Guardiola in the summer.
Rodri, who had back surgery after the World Cup, is expected to miss the Community Shield and the opening Premier League fixture as he continues his recovery, according to Sky Sports.
Jamie Carragher had questioned the logic of any sale before the Barcelona news broke.
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“If you’re Manchester City, what’s the point in selling them? You might as well keep them for the extra year,” he told Sky Sports, referring to the final year of Rodri’s current contract.
