A decisive meeting between Deco and Hugo VianaBarcelona and Manchester City are continuing their negotiations over Rodri’s move to the Catalan club, after the player settled his position and expressed his desire to wear the Barcelona shirt next season, turning down offers from Real Madrid, as well as Manchester City’s offer to renew his contract.
Both parties want an agreement as quickly as possible. Yet the negotiations remain more complicated than they appear, with a clear disagreement over the financial terms of the deal, according to the Spanish newspaper “Marca”.
Some press reports have claimed Barcelona and Manchester City have reached a final agreement over Rodri’s move. They haven’t. The talks are nowhere near that stage.
Despite the good relationship between the two clubs, an agreement does not appear to be close. Barcelona put an initial offer worth 50 million euros on the table to secure the player, and Manchester City rejected it.
The English club want at least 70 million euros to part with the Spanish midfielder. Barcelona, for now, do not appear willing to pay that amount.
Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, is expected to meet Hugo Viana, Manchester City’s sporting director, in the coming hours, in an attempt to bring the two viewpoints closer together and reach a formula that satisfies both parties.
Variables linked to the player’s performance may form part of the solution, with Barcelona insisting on a financial ceiling lower than Manchester City’s demands.
Both sporting directors are working to speed up the talks, driven by Hansi Flick’s desire for Rodri to join his squad as soon as possible.
Rodri had been expected to join Barcelona’s training on Wednesday, alongside the rest of the Spain national team players. Completing the deal by that date looks difficult given the negotiations are still ongoing.
The midfielder will also undergo a medical examination before completing his move, while several details in the agreement between Barcelona and Manchester City still need to be settled and given the finishing touches.
