Manchester City has rejected a new £55m bid from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri. This follows an initial offer of approximately £40m from Barcelona that was also turned down. City is reportedly seeking upwards of £60m for the 30-year-old midfielder, who is currently in the final year of his contract.
Barcelona remains committed to acquiring Rodri and is evaluating its next steps. Reports indicate that City does not wish to sell the Spain captain, who led his national team to a World Cup victory. Instead, the club aims to secure a new contract with him. However, if Rodri expresses a desire to leave, Manchester City would not obstruct his departure.
Transfer market activity
In related transfer news, Manchester City has reached an agreement to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah. The fee for this transfer is approximately £51m. Reijnders, who joined Manchester City from AC Milan last summer, has indicated his preference for the move to the Saudi Pro League.
The potential departure of Rodri and the confirmed sale of Reijnders could result in Manchester City losing two central midfielders. Consequently, the club is looking to sign new players for these positions, with interest noted in Enzo Fernandez and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Chelsea has set a deadline of Friday at 5 pm for Manchester City to submit a £120m bid for Enzo Fernandez. Discussions are also ongoing with Lille regarding Bouaddi. The sale of Reijnders could potentially contribute to funding a move for Fernandez.
Sources suggest that Manchester City is generating significant funds from player sales in the current transfer window. This includes the departure of James Trafford and other smaller sales, such as Nathan Ake moving to Turkey. These sales place City in a stronger negotiating position for potential new acquisitions.
If Manchester City were to receive a substantial fee for Rodri, combining that with the funds from the Reijnders sale could provide the £120m that Chelsea is seeking for Enzo Fernandez. This financial flexibility is crucial as the club navigates its transfer strategy.
Other transfer developments
Beyond the discussions surrounding Rodri and potential midfield reinforcements, other transfer market activities are also underway. Tottenham’s England defender Djed Spence is scheduled for a medical in Italy on Friday, ahead of a move to Inter Milan. This deal is reportedly valued at 30m euros, with an additional 5m euros in add-ons.
Arsenal made an inquiry for Spain defender Marc Pubill, but Atletico Madrid informed them that the player is not available for sale. Meanwhile, Hull City is reportedly close to finalising the signing of French midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath from Red Bull Salzburg for 4m euros. Hull has also submitted an offer exceeding £15m for Everton’s England midfielder Tim Iroegbunam.
Ipswich Town is determined to sign German striker Derry Scherhant from Freiburg this summer. Bayer Leverkusen, however, rejected an offer of 20m euros from Ipswich for Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios. These various transfer movements highlight a busy period for clubs across different leagues.
Napoli is expected to make a decision on the future of Italy striker Lorenzo Lucca before engaging in discussions with Arsenal regarding Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus. Additionally, AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim has informed several players, including England defender Fikayo Tomori and France forward Christopher Nkunku, that they are surplus to requirements at the Italian club. Genoa is reportedly interested in a loan move for Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson from Brighton, and West Ham is confident of reaching an agreement with Celtic for Belgium midfielder Arne Engels.
These ongoing negotiations and confirmed transfers indicate a dynamic transfer window as clubs aim to strengthen their squads. The situation with Rodri continues to be a key focus, with Barcelona’s latest £55m bid having been rejected by Manchester City.
Source: skysports.com
