Atletico Madrid are set to profit from Rodri’s upcoming transfer to Barcelona—a curious twist of fate given that the capital club recently blocked Barça’s attempt to sign forward Julián Álvarez.
Barcelona and Manchester City have reached an agreement for the transfer of Spanish midfielder Rodri in a deal worth €65 million upfront, plus an additional €10 million in performance-related add-ons. The official announcement is expected to be a formality once the final administrative details are completed.
Under FIFA’s solidarity mechanism, clubs involved in a player’s development between the ages of 12 and 23 are entitled to a percentage of any future transfer fee. This rule guarantees both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal a financial windfall from the deal.
Atletico Madrid are expected to collect approximately €1.5 million, while Villarreal will receive at least €1.6 million—a figure that could rise to €1.875 million depending on the fulfillment of bonus clauses in the package.
The deal creates a striking paradox in this transfer window: while Atletico refuse to negotiate the sale of Julián Álvarez to Barcelona, shutting the door on their La Liga rival’s top attacking target, they will still benefit financially from the Blaugrana’s coffers through Rodri’s move.
Rodri originally spent his formative youth years inside Atletico Madrid’s academy before joining Villarreal to complete his development. He made his senior debut for the Yellow Submarine during the 2015–2016 season, quickly establishing himself as one of La Liga’s standout midfielders.
In the summer of 2018, Atletico re-signed Rodri for a single season before selling him to Manchester City in 2019. In England, he evolved into arguably the finest defensive midfielder in world football, winning multiple major honors—including the UEFA Champions League—and claiming the prestigious 2024 Ballon d’Or.
