The Catalans have offered Manchester City €60 million plus add-ons, but the English champions are holding out for a higher fee. Rio Ferdinand warns that losing Rodri and Guardiola could be too big a blow for the Citizens.
On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Barcelona sent a new verbal offer to Manchester City for midfielder Rodri, confirmed Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Catalan club is offering €60 million plus add-ons, but City is demanding €80 million for their captain of the Spanish national team.
According to Romano, the offer is on the table, and negotiations between the clubs are continuing. Barcelona remains optimistic that a deal will be reached, with the ideal solution likely falling somewhere between the two figures, where add-ons could prove decisive. Rodri's contract with Manchester City expires in 2027, and with no extension agreed, this is the last summer transfer window in which the English club can profit from his transfer.
Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand believes Rodri's injury last season was crucial in the Premier League title race. Arsenal won the title by seven points ahead of City, with Rodri missing 17 league matches due to injury.
"If Rodri had started and played every game last season without injury, Manchester City would have won the league. I don't want to disrespect Arsenal, but if Rodri had played in ten more matches, City would have won the title,"
Ferdinand said on the "Rio Ferdinand Presents" podcast on YouTube, as reported by Goal.com.
Ferdinand warns that City is not just losing Rodri but faces a massive challenge following the departure of former manager Pep Guardiola.
"Manchester City hasn't just lost Guardiola; now it seems they will also lose Rodri (to Barcelona). These are the two most important figures at the club over the last seven or eight years,"
Ferdinand stated. He added that he believes City faces a huge challenge this season to compete at the same level they have maintained over the last eight or nine years.
Ferdinand praised Rodri's qualities, highlighting that his arrival at Barcelona would turn the Catalans into a significantly more dangerous team. Rodri was the most important player for the Spanish national team at the 2026 World Cup, where he won the title and the award for the best player of the tournament, and he also has a Ballon d'Or in his collection.
"If Barcelona sign him, he will become a real problem (for opponents) this season, because Rodri is currently the most important footballer for any team in the world, and he has been in recent years. He is a top player and an exceptional professional,"
Ferdinand concluded.
