Rodrigo Hernández Cascante simply, know as Rodri, has stunned Spanish football by choosing Barcelona over Real Madrid, despite Los Blancos long being seen as favourites to land the Manchester City defensive midfielder. According to The Athletic, the Ballon d’Or winner has now reached personal terms agreement with Barcelona, who are now negotiating directly with City.
Rodri has entered the final year of his City contract, with Pep Guardiola’s departure reportedly accelerating his decision to seek a fresh challenge. Real Madrid had been in talks with Manchester City since last week and were prepared to pay around £50 million, but Rodri’s clear preference for Hansi Flick’s system has left them facing a major midfield miss this summer.
A move to Spotify Camp Nou would reunite Rodri with several of his World Cup-winning Spain teammates, including Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and World Cup young player of the tournament Pau Cubarsi. FC Barcelona’s interest has also been boosted by an injury setback to Frenkie de Jong, who faces four months out with a torn medial collateral ligament.
Reports on the final transfer fee vary widely, with some estimates suggesting Barca could land him for around €50-60 million, while other figures floated by Real Madrid reportedly ranged as high as €75 million. FC Barcelona will likely need to sell players first to accommodate the deal, but Rodri could become one of the most symbolically significant transfers of the summer if it goes through.
