One of the biggest transfers of the summer is entering the final stretch. As of the morning of August 18, 2026 Barcelona and Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle on the transfer of Rodri Hernandez. The deal is valued at approximately €76,5 million: €60 million will be the guaranteed portion, with another €16,5 million provided in bonuses, a significant portion of which is considered quite achievable.
Rodri himself is already in Catalonia. He arrived in Barcelona on the evening of August 17 and is scheduled to undergo a medical examination today. If everything goes according to plan, the midfielder will sign a four-year contract, running until the summer of 2030.
An official announcement is expected shortly. The Catalan press also reports that the club hopes to present the new signing as early as Wednesday, during the Joan Gamper Trophy.
But even before signing, Rodri managed to say the most important thing.
Upon arriving at El Prat airport, he admitted that moving to Barcelona is a dream come true for him. The midfielder also emphasized that he is looking forward to meeting his new teammates, many of whom he has known for a long time from the Spanish national team, and immediately stated his maximum ambitions: to fight for the Champions League and every available trophy.
For Barcelona, this is not just another expensive reinforcement.
Rodri is returning to Spain after seven seasons at Manchester City, where he moved in the summer of 2019. During this time, he became one of the main symbols of the club's era, won four English league titles, and scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter. According to official data from City, in total, Rodri won 13 trophies, not 12.
The summer of 2026 made his status even more significant.
Rodri helped the Spanish national team win the 2026 World Cup, where the Spanish defeated Argentina in the final with a score of 1:0 in extra time. The midfielder himself received the World Cup Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.
Now he returns to La Liga as a completely different footballer — a world champion, winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Champions League winner, and one of the most influential central midfielders of his generation.
For Barcelona, his arrival could be the key element of a new project. Rodri is capable of giving the team what is particularly difficult to buy in the transfer market: tempo control, composure under pressure, the ability to manage space, and experience winning at the highest level.
And for Rodri himself, this move feels almost like coming home.
After seven years in England, he will again be playing in Spain, alongside many players from the national team and at a club about which he said only a few words upon arrival:
“Playing for Barcelona is a dream for me.”
If the medical examination goes without complications, there are no longer weeks — but mere days — left until the official start of a new chapter in Rodri's career.
