Man City transfer news: Barcelona view Etihad star as ‘impossible’ to sign

Follow us on Google Discover

FC Barcelona have reportedly scrapped plans to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri this summer, with the Spanish international viewed as too expensive an option for the La Liga giants.

According to Sport, Barcelona see the former Atletico Madrid star as an ‘impossible’ target, with the Catalan side unable to match anything City will demand for their star midfielder despite rumours in recent weeks that Rodri could leave Manchester in the summer.

Mundo Deportivo recently reported that Barcelona were looking to take advantage of the Premier League’s announcement at the start of the month that could see City heavily fined for their over 100 financial breaches, with Rodri in Xavi Hernandez’s sights.

However, plans for the midfielder have now been scrapped, and Barcelona will now return to the drawing board to find a long-term replacement for club legend Sergio Busquets, who is strongly tipped to leave his boyhood team when his contract expires at the end of this season.

With Barcelona now dropping plans to sign Rodri, CIty can now breathe a sigh of relief over their star midfielder, who could have potentially jumped at the chance to return to Spain had the European giants managed to cough up the fee Pep Guardiola’s side would have wanted for the 26-year-old.

Indeed, with Rodri at the top of his game, the midfielder would have been the perfect replacement for Busquets. Yet with Barcelona’s financial situation as bad as it has ever been amidst a backdrop of a refereeing scandal, City fans should have now fears about the Madrid-born star leaving for La Liga.

Barcelona dropping need to sign Rodri huge for City’s long-term plans

Rodri has been one of City’s most important players since arriving from Atletico back in 2019, and with Barcelona now unable to sign the midfielder, the Manchester giants now have a vital clog in their squad who could stay around for quite some time.

With the likes of Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden, Rodri could lead City into a new era in the years to come, and whilst Barcelona’s interest tends to linger around for a while, the midfielder looks set to remain at the Etihad Stadium for the long haul.