Barcelona's Bid Likely to Fail: Star Spaniard Set to Stay with Manchester City

Pulse Sports Team 07:40 - 10 August 2026

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is confident that Spanish midfielder Rodri will return to the squad despite ongoing transfer speculation. Last week, the Citizens rejected a 45 million euro offer from Barcelona for the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.

While Real Madrid, rivals to the Catalan giants, also expressed interest in the 30-year-old World Cup winner, DPA reports that City won't consider a transfer unless the offer reaches approximately 80 million euros. Rodri, who was named the best player at the recent World Cup, is entering the final year of his current contract with the Premier League club.

The Spanish international is currently recovering from back surgery, which could see him miss the start of the season. However, Maresca expects him to rejoin the squad in the coming days. "We have no new information. He will be in Manchester for now and will return on August 14th," stated the 46-year-old coach, whose team faces Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16th.