Rodri Pushes for Barcelona Move as City Talks Intensify

The transfer saga that has gripped Barcelona’s summer is edging towards its breaking point, and at the centre of it all stands Rodri – waiting, pushing, and now asking for time away from Manchester City training as the clubs haggle over the final numbers.

The 30-year-old midfielder, a Ballon d’Or winner and one of the pillars of City’s recent dominance, gave Barcelona the green light almost a week ago, agreeing personal terms and making his intentions clear. Since then, he has been stuck in limbo, watching from a distance while the two clubs try to close the financial gap that still separates them.

The wait is starting to bite.

Rodri asks City for time as deal inches forward

According to SPORT, Rodri has requested special permission from City to skip training while the negotiations continue. His holidays officially ended on Thursday, with a return to work scheduled for Friday morning, but the Spain international wants to stay on the sidelines until his future is resolved.

He was seen at Madrid airport on Thursday, boarding a flight to England, yet his stance is obvious: he would rather not throw himself back into full training with City while a blockbuster move to Barcelona hangs in the balance.

Rodri’s preference is to remain away from the group, protect himself, and wait for the deal to be finalised so he can fly straight to Catalonia and start under Hansi Flick without interruption.

City, though, still hold the cards. If the Premier League champions reject his request and order him to report as planned, the midfielder is prepared to return to training while the talks carry on in the background. For now, the relationship between player, selling club and buying club is described as positive, with no sign of a standoff – just hard bargaining and a shared awareness of what is at stake.

Barcelona and City close the gap

There is no full agreement yet, but the distance is shrinking. The remaining financial difference is now described as “increasingly small,” and Rodri’s position could not be clearer: he wants Barcelona, and he wants the move wrapped up in the coming days.

The hope inside Barça is that the paperwork can be completed early next week, allowing Rodri to bypass any extended return to City’s pre-season and head straight to Barcelona to begin work under Flick.

The Catalan club have walked this tightrope before. Ferran Torres was granted permission to delay his own return while Barcelona finalised his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Rodri is now looking for similar leeway from City as he waits for the final green light.

Flight to Liverpool, eyes on Barcelona

Even as he seeks time away from training, Rodri was again spotted at Madrid airport on Thursday evening, this time preparing to fly to Liverpool – about a 45-minute drive from Manchester.

The trip raises possibilities. He may be returning to Manchester to collect his belongings, to be physically nearby should City demand his presence, or simply to stay within reach while the situation develops hour by hour.

What is not in doubt is his importance to Barcelona’s plans. For the Blaugrana, landing a World Cup-winning midfielder of his calibre would be a statement signing and an instant upgrade for Flick’s project, both in the dressing room and on the pitch.

Inside the club, the pressure now falls on Deco and the sporting department to close the deal with City as quickly as possible. Every day that passes without resolution carries risk – for fitness, for planning, for the balance of both squads.

One detail may prove telling: whether Manchester City insist Rodri laces up his boots and rejoins training, or quietly allow him to stay away while talks accelerate. That decision will say plenty about just how close Barcelona really are to pulling off one of the most anticipated transfers of their summer.