Rodri's future has settled into a three-way wait between Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City. Barcelona believe the midfielder is focused on Madrid, so they are not pushing ahead unless he makes his preference clear. City, meanwhile, still want to keep him beyond the final year of his contract.

Barcelona's stance on Rodri

A Barcelona source told barcauniversal.com: "People say he wants to go to Madrid, and you can't think about signing him if he hasn't made it clear that he wants Barcelona. Until he decides he wants to follow that path at Camp Nou, there's nothing serious to discuss".

That is why Barcelona have not treated this as an active pursuit yet. They had believed the 30-year-old was focused on joining Real Madrid, so they had not seriously considered making a move.

Their posture is also shaped by timing. Barcelona would be open to exploring a move either this summer or next year, when Rodri's contract expires on June 30, 2027. For now, their priority remains signing a striker, with Julian Alvarez top of their shortlist.

Barcelona finished 1st in 2025 La Liga and 5th in the 2025 Champions League phase, while Real Madrid finished 9th in that same Champions League phase. Those are still two heavyweights, but Barcelona are acting like a club waiting for the player to pick a side before they spend real energy.

City still want to keep him

City have not accepted that Rodri is on his way out. He is currently out of action after undergoing back surgery, but the club still want him to stay and are dealing with a player whose contract situation is unresolved.

He has already won four Premier League titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups since joining Manchester City in 2019. That is a strong enough record to explain why both Spanish clubs are interested, even with the injury layoff and the uncertainty around his future.

Rodri himself has not shut the door. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "you can't turn down the best clubs in the world". That keeps the race open, but Barcelona's stance is clear enough, they want the signal first and are not moving until they get it.

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