The latest edition of El Clásico is playing out in the transfer market, with Barcelona reportedly now the favorites over Real Madrid to sign Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri.
Rodri is entering the final year of his Manchester City contract and renewal talks with the Sky Blues have effectively stalled. The 30-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from England, and after his sensational performance for Spain this summer that ended with claiming the 2026 World Cup and Golden Ball, interest in him has only intensified.
Real Madrid have been viewed as Rodri’s most likely destination for months now, but in recent days, Barcelona entered the conversation. Now, the entire saga appears to have taken a massive turn.
Barcelona have reportedly opened talks with Rodri’s camp and The Athletic claim that he now favors a move to Catalonia over Madrid. Additional reports indicate that Rodri has already spoken to Barça sporting director Deco, and manager Hansi Flick has approved the team’s pursuit of the generational midfielder.
Out of nowhere, the La Liga champions could be close to adding the best defensive midfielder in the world. But why have Barcelona suddenly made Rodri their transfer window priority?
The Need to Replace Frenkie de Jong—Again
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong returned after representing the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup only for the club to discover he tore the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee during the tournament.
The Dutchman has been undergoing a conservative recovery program that, if successful, could see him return to the pitch early in the fall. If it doesn’t, though, surgery would be the only other alternative, and De Jong could be sidelined for up to four months.
Barcelona are reportedly furious about the situation given De Jong didn’t start a single game for the club since February after a hamstring injury. This will also be the second time in three seasons that he’s sidelined to start the term. Initial reports suggested that the Catalans were comfortable with managing De Jong’s absence with in-house options, but Rodri is a player hard not ignore.
Rodri would instantly occupy De Jong’s place in the XI as Barça's No. 6, anchoring the midfield and allowing Pedri the freedom to roam and control the game at different heights as the team's tempo-setter and deep-lying playmaker.
But signing Rodri to cover for De Jong’s absence could seem short-sighted. At worse, the Dutchman could return by the end of the year or early 2027, so spending big on a replacement might not seem too wise. But Rodri isn’t only De Jong’s replacement—he’s an upgrade, and a player that could help solve one of Barça’s biggest weaknesses.
Rodri: The Perfect No. 6 For Flick’s Aggressive System
On paper, Barcelona already have an abundance of midfield talent with the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Marc Bernal, Marc Casadó, Dani Olmo and Fermín López. However, none would be better at the No. 6 role than Rodri—including De Jong—in Flick’s aggressive but also risky system.
Time and time again, transitions and counter attacks were thorns in Barça’s side a season ago. Barcelona’s high-pressing system and now infamous high defensive line allowed them to recover the ball high up the pitch constantly, but it also left them exposed to vertical transition attacks they struggled to defend.
Rodri has been the best counter-pressing midfielder and overall transition kryptonite for the better part of the last decade. He has the range, intelligence, physicality and tenaciousness to be a one-man vacuum in the middle of the pitch, effectively protecting the backline from transitions, whether it’s by sticking himself as a third center back or counter-pressing opponents in midfield before any potential vertical attack can even start. He showed his prowess at the World Cup, where Spain conceded just once in eight games despite playing the highest defensive line of any team in the tournament.
Technically, Rodri is also nearly flawless, a player capable of picking out any pass and directing build-up from deep, which is a core trait of every Barça team regardless of manager. Barcelona and Deco have long publicly admired Rodri, but they never felt like signing him was possible.
“Replacing [Sergio] Busquets is almost impossible,” Deco said back in the summer of 2024. “The player that’s closest to Busquets is Rodri, who is at City. I imagine City wouldn’t sell him to us or any other team.” Two years later, and Deco could be close to landing his dream Busquets replacement.
The Joy of Handing Real Madrid a Major Blow
It’s clear a player of Rodri’s quality would significantly improve Barcelona’s chances of success, but landing him would also represent beating out arch-rivals Real Madrid, who arguably need Rodri more than the Catalans.
Los Blancos have failed to propperly replace Toni Kroos and to a lesser extent Luka Modrić since the pair of legendary midfielders left the Bernabéu. Madrid’s midfield has been shaky over the last two seasons, and for all the attacking firepower at their disposal, the 15-time European champions have gone two years without lifting a major trophy.
Rodri was considered the dream solution to Los Blancos’ midfield woes and his arrival to the Bernabéu seemed almost imminent some weeks ago. Now, Barcelona could highjack their rivals’ best alternative to fix their biggest area of need, forcing them to either pivot to another alternative—which likely won’t be as good as Rodri—or once again fail to add any significant midfield reinforcements.
Eight Barcelona players played alongside Rodri for Spain during the World Cup, and MARCA suggest that many of Barça’s La Roja stars played a key role in convincing Rodri to prioritize a move to Catalonia.
There’s still a ways to go for Barcelona to sign Rodri and striking a deal with City won’t be easy. But the wheels are in motion for the Catalans to acquire the best holding midfielder in the world while simultaneously securing the first El Clásico victory of 2026–27 with the season still yet to start.
