Manchester City hold firm on €80 million valuation for Rodri after new Barcelona proposal

Manchester City hold firm on €80 million valuation for Rodri after new Barcelona proposal Barcelona have been in negotiations with Manchester City since last week to sign Ballon d’Or winner Rodri this summer. The Spanish midfielder looks set to leave England, with a return to Spain on the cards. Initially, it looked like he would join Real Madrid. It made sense. Rodri is from the Spanish capital and Los Blancos seemed to be his desired destination, but Frenkie de Jong’s injury changed things . This forced Barcelona to test the waters for a new midfielder, and once the Catalan club expressed interest in the 30-year-old, there was no looking back. Barça quickly convinced Rodri with their sporting project, and the allure of playing with his national teammates every week appealed to the player. Since getting the green light from the player, Barça have been in negotiations to reach an agreement on the fee with Manchester City. Manchester City refuse to lower demands According to Fabrizio Rom a no , Barcelona have submitted an improved verbal proposal worth €60 million plus add-ons, yet City continue to value the Spain international at €80 million. Barcelona are not giving up on signing Rodri. (Photo by Annabel Lee-Ellis/Getty Images) Barcelona initially lowballed with an offer of less than €50 million , but their second bid has been much more respectable. However, the Premier League club are not prepared to let one of their most influential players leave cheaply. Rodri is one of the team’s most important players, and his status as one of the best midfielders in the world does not come cheap. Barcelona remain optimistic Despite City’s position, Barcelona have not lost confidence. The Catalan club believe a compromise can still be reached, with bonuses expected to play a significant role in bridging the valuation gap. A package somewhere between Barcelona’s current proposal and City’s €80 million demand is viewed as the most realistic outcome, with the club planning on a new  €60 million fixed plus bonuses offer . Man City are not willing to lower their demands for the midfielder. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images) Rather than significantly increasing the guaranteed transfer fee, Barcelona are expected to rely on performance-related add-ons to move negotiations forward. That structure could allow Manchester City to maintain their valuation while giving Barcelona greater financial flexibility. The saga seems to be in its final stretch Barça can almost see the finish line when it comes to signing Rodri, but they need to make sure they do not slip up in this final stretch. Manchester City are showing no signs of softening their stance, but Barcelona need to make the deal sweet enough not to give the Premier League club such an opportunity. With every passing day, it does feel like Rodri is closer to wearing Blaugrana , but the club cannot take the deal for granted. It is important to get it over the line sooner rather than later, and it remains to be seen what fee Barça will eventually pay Manchester City for Rodri.