Barcelona Just Made A CHEEKY £38.5M Bid For Ballon d'Or Winner Rodri — And Man City Said Absolutely Not

The audacity! Barcelona just tried to snap up Manchester City's midfield maestro Rodri for £38.5 million — and City basically replied with "you're having a laugh, mate."

According to BBC Sport, the Catalan club submitted an opening offer on Friday that was swiftly rejected. City are open to selling the 30-year-old Spanish international, but they want MORE than £60 million for the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. That's almost double what Barca put on the table. Read the room, guys!

The Tea ☕

• Barcelona made a £38.5m bid for Man City's Rodri — City want £60m+
• Real Madrid were in pole position but Rodri CHOSE Barcelona instead
• Rodri enters the final year of his contract and hasn't signed a new deal
• City are eyeing 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille as a replacement

But Wait, It Gets MESSIER

Here's where it gets absolutely wild: Real Madrid thought they had this deal locked down.

Spanish radio network Cadena Ser reports that Los Blancos made Rodri an "irresistible" offer right after Spain's World Cup triumph this summer. President Florentino Perez, the chief exec, EVERYONE was working to make it happen. They rolled out the red carpet, showed him maximum respect, put everything on the table.

And then Rodri chose Barcelona instead. Yes, really.

Real Madrid found out about his decision on FRIDAY and immediately ended talks. According to BBC Sport, they thanked him for being respectful during negotiations and walked away to "avoid prolonging uncertainty." Translation: we're not going to sit around waiting while you flirt with our biggest rivals. Iconic behavior, honestly.

Why The Drama?

Rodri's contract situation is SPICY. He's entering the final year of his deal at the Etihad and hasn't signed a new one, which means speculation has been absolutely rife all summer.

The 30-year-old has been through it injury-wise recently — he missed most of the 2024-25 season with a serious knee injury and had hamstring issues last season. But he was BACK to his absolute best at the World Cup, leading Spain to their second title and winning player of the tournament. That Ballon d'Or? Fully deserved.

He's currently recovering from back surgery and is scheduled to link up with his City teammates in Manchester early next week. Talk about awkward timing for transfer negotiations.

City's Next Move

If Rodri does leave, City aren't messing around. BBC Sport reports they're in talks to sign 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, but there's a problem: Lille want £86 MILLION. That's more than City are asking for their Ballon d'Or winner. The transfer market is absolutely unhinged right now.

With the transfer window heating up and the second week of August already here, City will want to sort this out FAST so they can get a replacement in before the season kicks off properly.

The Bottom Line

Barcelona have Rodri's approval to negotiate (which must sting for Real Madrid fans), but they're going to have to dig a LOT deeper than £38.5m if they want to pry him away from Manchester.

City are essentially saying: pay up or pipe down. And honestly? For a Ballon d'Or winner who just dominated the World Cup, £60 million feels like a bargain in today's market. Barcelona better come back with a serious offer if they want this deal to happen.

The drama! The rejected bids! The Real Madrid heartbreak! This transfer saga has EVERYTHING and we are absolutely here for it. 🍿

Who do you think Rodri should join — Barcelona, stay at City, or should Real Madrid make one last attempt? Drop your hot takes below!

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Sources:

• BBC Sport: Man City reject Barcelona's £38.5m bid for Rodri