Manchester City are staring down a midfield makeover that could involve two of the most expensive transactions of the summer transfer window. With Barcelona circling Rodri and Chelsea holding firm on a massive price tag for Enzo Fernandez, the reigning Premier League champions find themselves negotiating on two fronts simultaneously.
Chelsea have reportedly set a Friday deadline, sometime in mid-August 2026, for City to meet their £120m valuation for Fernandez. City’s opening bid of £102.5m was waved away. That’s a gap of roughly £17.5m that could still torpedo the whole deal.
The Rodri situation
Barcelona have been persistent in their pursuit of Rodri, the Spanish midfielder who has been central to City’s dominance in recent seasons. The Catalan club’s latest offer sits at approximately €60m, or about £51m, after an initial bid in the range of €45-50m was rejected.
City are understood to value Rodri somewhere between €60m and €70m, possibly more. So the two sides are inching closer, but haven’t quite met in the middle.
