Manchester City have rejected Barcelona’s opening bid for midfielder Rodri Hernández, delaying the conclusion of one of the summer transfer window’s highest-profile moves.
Barcelona initiated formal negotiations with the English champions after securing Rodri’s preliminary agreement. The Spanish midfielder chose a move to Camp Nou, turning down the opportunity to continue contract talks with bitter rivals Real Madrid.
While the Catalan club wants to seal the transfer swiftly to provide manager Hansi Flick with one of the world’s premier holding midfielders, Manchester City have no intention of facilitating his exit below their financial valuation.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Barcelona submitted an opening proposal of a €45 million guaranteed base fee plus €10 million in performance-related add-ons, bringing the potential total package to €55 million.
Manchester City were not convinced by the financial structure of the bid, holding firm on an asking price of at least €65 million. This will require Barcelona to submit an improved offer during the next round of negotiations.
Sport noted that strong institutional relations between the two clubs could help bridge the gap, with expectations remaining that a final agreement could be reached over the current weekend.
Barcelona hold a significant advantage through their full agreement with Rodri on personal terms, coupled with the fact that he has just one year remaining on his Manchester City contract. However, the transfer will not reach its final stages until both clubs agree on the total fee and payment terms.
