Barcelona has gained ground in recent hours in the race for Rodri Hernández. Sources close to the club indicate that the Blaugrana now have a clear path to negotiate directly with Manchester City for the Spanish midfielder, something that was not the case yesterday or even this morning. The same sources admit that this is a change from the previous situation, although they insist that the deal is far from being closed and that nothing guarantees the signing will materialize.
Barça’s interest comes at a time when Rodri’s signing by Real Madrid, which until a few days ago seemed on track, has cooled down. City would not have agreed to advance negotiations with the white club, understanding that other teams could enter the bidding, and Barça itself has already made contact both with the player’s environment and with the English club. For the deal to succeed, the Blaugrana need to generate income first, as they are still required to balance their accounts before undertaking a signing of this magnitude, which involves concretizing some important departures from the squad.
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The club does not rule out that the move is related to the infirmary. Frenkie de Jong is carrying a knee injury whose recovery time varies according to the source consulted, between several weeks and four months, and the midfield is one of the areas Barça is monitoring ahead of the final stretch of the market. Club sources avoid confirming this categorically, but neither do they rule it out. Rodri, 30 years old and chosen as the best player of the last World Cup, has a contract with Manchester City until 2027.
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