Spain captain Rodri says he is eager to rediscover the thrill of football after completing his transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona.
Rodri completes Barcelona move
- Barcelona confirmed that the 30-year-old midfielder had agreed a contract through 2030, ending one of the summer’s most protracted transfer sagas.
- The deal was struck on Sunday after Barcelona made two unsuccessful offers. The final package was understood to be worth up to €76.5 million ($88.6m), including performance-related additions.
- Rodri travelled to Barcelona the next day to finalise his personal agreement with the Catalan club.
- At his presentation, he described the move as an exciting new chapter, offering a different challenge and the opportunity to experience that feeling once more.
Rodri departs Manchester City after seven highly successful seasons. The former Villarreal and Atletico Madrid player had been widely linked with a switch to Real Madrid before choosing the Spanish giants’ fiercest rivals instead.
Injuries have limited him during the last two campaigns, although he was outstanding as Spain claimed their second World Cup in North America last month.
Barcelona have recently established themselves as the leading force in La Liga, but their wait for European football’s premier club prize has continued since 2015. That was the year Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez led the club to a fifth Champions League triumph.
Rodri said joining Barcelona was an honour and pledged to give everything in pursuit of the club’s major ambitions, including another Champions League title.
He added that the club’s ambition matched his own character and that he intended to contribute fully as Barcelona chased its targets during the coming season.
Spain connections and a new coach
Rodri will find several familiar figures in the Barcelona dressing room, including Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Dani Olmo, all of whom shared Spain’s Euro 2024 and World Cup successes.
He will also link up with recent arrivals Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, who both joined Barcelona earlier in the close season.
After working closely with Pep Guardiola at City, Rodri believes his new Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, can make a significant contribution to his development.
He said Flick’s approach differed in some respects from the football he had previously experienced, describing that contrast as valuable and likely to help him improve as a player.
City farewell
Rodri was one of Guardiola’s key players at the Etihad Stadium, helping City win the 2023 Champions League and four Premier League crowns as part of a haul of 12 major trophies.
In a farewell message, Rodri expressed immense pride in what he and his former teammates had achieved, while also thanking the club for the many memorable moments. He described their shared success as both exceptional and impossible to forget.
