Rodri arrives at Barcelona from Manchester City in a 76.5 million euro deal

Rodri stepped off the plane at El Prat and didn't need to say a word: the smile already told the story. But he spoke anyway, and his words confirmed what half of Barcelona had been waiting days to hear. The Spanish midfielder is one step away from becoming a Barcelona player, arriving from Manchester City in a deal worth around 76.5 million euros (roughly 65.3 million pounds, or 88.5 million dollars).

The 30-year-old spoke to reporters the moment he touched down on Catalan soil and made no effort to hide his excitement.

I'm really happy to be here. It's been an intense few days, but I'm glad everything got sorted out. Playing for Barcelona is a dream come true for me. I'm looking forward to reuniting with my teammates, most of whom I already know from the national team. Now it's time to work hard and give my best. We're going for the Champions League, we're going for everything that comes our way.Rodri

Now comes the waiting game. The next step is the medical on Tuesday, the standard procedure before everything is sealed. If nothing goes wrong, the club could announce the signing that same day, with the official presentation planned for Wednesday.

A saga resolved on Sunday

It wasn't a straightforward path. Barcelona first tried its luck with an offer close to 50 million euros, which was turned down. The club came back with an improved proposal that also fell short, until the two sides finally struck a deal on Sunday. Real Madrid's interest was also in play, which only sped things along.

Rodri, moreover, was entering the final year of his contract at the Etihad, which made him a coveted asset in any market. Manchester City itself tried to keep him. Manager Enzo Maresca had called him a "top level player" after Sunday's Community Shield, and was blunt about it: "every team needs a Rodri." Despite that backing, the club couldn't convince him to sign a new deal. The player had only just rejoined the squad on Friday, following back surgery after the World Cup.

Seven years of history in Manchester

The former Atletico Madrid man leaves behind seven seasons at City, with a trophy haul that includes four Premier League titles and a goal that will live long in the memory: the only strike in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan. A year later came the Ballon d'Or, though he received it already sidelined, nursing an ACL injury that ruled him out for most of the 2024-25 season. Then came hamstring and groin issues, which limited him to 33 appearances in Pep Guardiola's last campaign in charge of the team.

Meanwhile, City has already been busy reshaping its midfield: the club shelled out 135 million euros for Elliot Anderson and agreed to Tijjani Reijnders' departure for Al Qadisah. The English side has also been linked with names like Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille and Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea, a sign that the rebuild in that part of the pitch is still underway.

For Rodri, who was crowned world champion with Spain this summer, the new chapter now opening has a clear objective, as he himself summed it up: go for everything, starting with the Champions League.