Barcelona make improved €60m bid for Rodri as Manchester City target Enzo Fernández

Latest offer close to City’s valuation for Spain midfielder.

Manchester City's Rodri. 

Barcelona have made an improved bid to Manchester City of around €60m (£51m) for Rodri. This follows Barça’s initial offer of €45m that was rejected out of hand by City.

The Spanish club’s new offer – which may include add-ons – is close to City’s valuation for the 30-year-old who captained Spain to the World Cup and won the Ballon d’Or in 2024.

As the midfielder has declared a preference for Barcelona it seems it is inevitable he will leave. In preparation City are targeting Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández as a potential signing though the west London club’s valuation of around £120m may be too high.

Chelsea are understood to be intent on that price for the attacking midfielder so any transfer may include add-ons. Enzo Maresca is keen on Fernández after working with him for a season-and-a-half at Chelsea before his tenure ended in January.

The 25-year-old was a key member of Maresca’s team that finished fourth and won the Europa Conference in 2024-25 and the Fifa Club World Cup last summer.

If City were to sign Fernández, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, another midfielder could be offloaded, with Tijjani Reijnders a possible candidate to depart.

As Rodri is intent on a move to Barcelona the arrival of Fernández, Chelsea’s captain, would add seniority and leadership to Maresca’s squad and a player whose combative style would offer an edge to City’s play.

City have so far recruited Elliott Anderson for £116m from Nottingham Forest and are close to the signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi for around £85m from Lille.

Chelsea are thought to have enquired about Bournemouth’s Alex Scott as a replacement for Fernández should he leave.

Guardian