Rodri Completes £65m Barcelona Move After Seven Years at Man City

What Rodri won at Manchester City

The move closes a seven-season stay at the Etihad in which Rodri made 298 appearances and won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League. His final two campaigns were disrupted by injury, but he was named player of the tournament at this summer's World Cup as Spain lifted the trophy for a second time.

He was into the final 12 months of the contract he signed in 2022 and talks over an extension came to nothing. Real Madrid had looked best placed before ending their interest, and sources told BBC Sport that Barcelona had the midfielder's approval to open negotiations. City rejected an opening offer of £38.5m before agreeing a fee well in excess of that, in one of the standout deals of this summer's transfer window.

Rodri's farewell message to City fans

Rodri flew to Barcelona on Monday and told reporters at the airport that it was a "dream" to play for the Catalan side. Reflecting on his seven years in Manchester, he said:

I am leaving the club with a huge sense of pride about what we have achieved and gratitude too for so many amazing memories. City didn't just make me grow as a player. They made me grow as a human.

His exit leaves City without the midfielder who anchored the most successful era in their history as the 2026/27 Premier League season gets under way.