Manchester City has turned down Barcelona’s latest offer, approximately €60 million (£51 million), for midfielder Rodri. Meanwhile, Chelsea has established a deadline of 5 PM (BST) on Friday for potential bidders to present a £120 million offer for Enzo Fernández, who is being considered as Rodri’s replacement.
On Tuesday, Barcelona raised their initial bid of €45 million, but City deemed this offer insufficient. Reports indicate that City is seeking a fee between £60 million and £65 million for Rodri, who has previously captained Spain to a World Cup victory and is a former Ballon d’Or recipient.
Despite Rodri’s expressed desire to join Barcelona, City acknowledges that his departure to Camp Nou appears inevitable. Consequently, Chelsea has identified Fernández, a World Cup-winning captain from Qatar 2022, as a suitable candidate to fill the void left by Rodri. His experience and leadership would be valuable additions to Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Chelsea, however, has made it clear that if formal offers do not reach their £120 million asking price by the specified deadline, the 25-year-old will remain with the club. To facilitate this financial requirement, there are ongoing discussions regarding the potential sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah, with negotiations progressing for a deal valued at around €60 million for the 28-year-old Dutch player who joined last summer.
In other news, Jérémie Doku has extended his contract with Manchester City until 2031. The 24-year-old winger expressed his enthusiasm about the upcoming season under new manager Enzo Maresca, stating, “With Enzo here now, I am really excited about the new season. His style of football is the kind we love, which is exciting for the players.”
Doku also acknowledged the support from City fans, saying, “I feel their love and support, and it means the world to me. I want to focus on bringing them the success they deserve.”
