Barcelona's push this summer is split in two. Rodri is the deal people around the move are describing as "expected to happen", while Cristian Romero still depends on whether Barca choose to enter a race that Atletico Madrid already lead.

Rodri is the more advanced target

The Rodri side of this is the cleaner story. Barcelona made an opening bid worth around €45 million in fixed fees, and Manchester City turned it down quickly. Even so, Rodri is still described as a Ballon d'Or winner who has already agreed personal terms with Barcelona.

Fabrizio Romano was blunt about the status of the move. "Rodri to Barcelona remains a deal that is "expected to happen", even though the final fee has not been agreed upon yet," he said. That is the position Barcelona seem to be working from now, with the fee still unresolved but the conversation moving in the right direction.

The numbers around Rodri also fit the idea that this is not a pure name chase. He has a 7.57 average rating across 8 appearances and 745 minutes, which is why Barca are treating him as an elite-level target rather than a speculative one.

Romero depends on Barca's decision

Romero is a different kind of target. Romano said Atletico Madrid "are preparing a new official bid" and that they had already sent one to Tottenham, but there is still no closed agreement with Romero. He added that Barcelona still have "space" if they want to enter the race, and that Romero is in negotiations with Atletico as a priority.

That leaves Barca in a more passive position on this one. Romero has nearly three years left on his Tottenham contract, so any move would need real work, and Atletico's second proposal makes them the club with the momentum right now.

Romero's own 7.16 average rating across 7 appearances and 627 minutes underlines why he is in the conversation at all. He is not being talked about as a fallback name. He is being chased as a defender who can still hold his level.

The difference is simple enough. Rodri is being framed as a deal that should happen if the fee gets sorted. Romero is still waiting on Barca to decide whether they want in, while Atletico keep moving first.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →