MADRID, Aug. 19 — FC Barcelona on Tuesday announced the signing of Spain midfielder Rodri from Manchester City on a contract through June 2030.
The 30-year-old joins the reigning La Liga champion after weeks of negotiations with City, with Barcelona reportedly paying around 75 million euros (87 million U.S. dollars) for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner. Barcelona also held off interest from Real Madrid to sign Rodri, who was named player of the match in Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the recent World Cup final. Rodri had one year remaining on his Manchester City contract and leaves after seven seasons with the English club. The former Villarreal and Atletico Madrid midfielder arrived in Barcelona on Monday evening and told reporters it was “a dream to sign for FC Barcelona.” “There have been some intense days, but I am happy to be here, and we will try and win the Champions League and everything that is ahead of us,” Rodri said. He added that he “had other options before Barcelona,” but had “no doubts” when the Catalan club came calling. Rodri completed a medical in Sant Joan Despi before signing his contract at Barcelona’s offices on Tuesday morning, where he was greeted by a small group of fans. He later had lunch with club president Joan Laporta.Portugal defender Joao Cancelo also arrived in Barcelona on Monday after ending his contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal. The former Barcelona loanee is expected to sign a three-year deal in the coming days.
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