Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, has landed in Barcelona in anticipation of his €76.5 million (£65.3 million) transfer to the Spanish club.
The 30-year-old expressed his excitement, stating that it was “a dream come true” to join the Nou Camp, with the deal expected to be finalized after a medical examination on Tuesday.
At Barcelona’s El Prat airport, Rodri shared, “I’m very happy to be here. It’s been a whirlwind few days, but I’m relieved everything has been sorted.”
“Playing for Barcelona is a dream come true for me. I can’t wait to work with my teammates, many of whom I already know from the national team. It’s time to put in the effort and give my utmost,” he added.
“Our goal is the Champions League; we’re aiming for everything that comes our way.”
The midfielder, who recently celebrated a World Cup victory with Spain, was in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and attracted interest from both Barcelona and their rivals, Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s initial offer of around €50 million was turned down last week, but they ultimately reached an agreement on Sunday after submitting an improved bid.
If all goes well during Rodri’s medical examination, his signing announcement could come on the same day, followed by a formal presentation slated for Wednesday.
Manchester City had hoped to retain Rodri, with manager Enzo Maresca praising him as a “top player” and asserting that “every team needs Rodri” after the Community Shield on Sunday. However, they couldn’t convince him to extend his contract.
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Rodri had just returned to Manchester City on Friday after undergoing back surgery post-World Cup.
The former Atletico Madrid player has spent seven seasons with City, capturing the Premier League title four times, famously scoring the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan.
In the subsequent year, he received the Ballon d’Or, but a significant anterior cruciate ligament injury sidelined him for most of the 2024-25 season.
Further setbacks due to hamstring and groin issues limited his participation to 33 matches in Pep Guardiola’s final season at the helm.
This summer, City has already seen major midfield changes, spending €135 million on Elliot Anderson and agreeing to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadisah.
They are also rumored to be interested in Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea‘s Enzo Fernández.
Information from PA contributed to this report.