Barcelona are mounting an aggressive effort to secure the signing of Manchester City midfielder Rodri, effectively challenging Real Madrid for the Spanish international's services. While it was previously widely assumed that the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner was headed to the Bernabeu, the lack of a finalized agreement between Real Madrid and Manchester City has provided an opening for the Catalan club to intervene.
As reported by Sport, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick personally engaged with the player within the last 24 hours. These direct discussions appear to have been instrumental in swaying the midfielder, with Jijantes FC now confirming that the player has provided the green light to move to the Spotify Camp Nou. This development marks a significant shift in the transfer narrative, as the player had already reached a personal agreement with Real Madrid earlier in the summer.
Should Barcelona successfully finalize this transfer, it would represent a major statement of intent ahead of the 2026-27 season. Stealing a high-profile target from their arch-rivals would deal a substantial blow to Real Madrid, especially after weeks of speculation linking the player to the capital club. While the situation remains fluid and is expected to evolve over the coming days, Barcelona currently holds the advantage in the race to sign the midfielder.
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