Spanish footballer Rodri was officially presented as a new player for FC Barcelona on Tuesday. Barcelona, the La Liga champion, announced the signing of the captain of the Spanish national team, which won the World Cup, from Premier League side Manchester City.
According to the club's statement on its website, the 30-year-old footballer signed a contract that will be valid until 2030, thus concluding one of the longest transfer sagas of the summer.
Reports made on Sunday indicated that Barça and Manchester City agreed on the terms for the transfer of the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner for a sum of around 75 million euros. Following this, Rodri arrived in the Catalan capital the next day to discuss personal terms with his new club.
After seven years marked by trophies at Manchester City, the former player for Atlético Madrid and Villarreal was mentioned in reports as a potential candidate for Real Madrid before ultimately choosing his arch-rival.
In the last two seasons, Rodri faced injury problems, but he demonstrated outstanding play during Spain's victory in the second World Cup in North America last month. Rodri was a key figure for Pep Guardiola at City, helping the team win the Champions League title in 2023 and four Premier League titles among twelve major trophies.
In a statement on the City website, Rodri noted: 'I am leaving the club with a great sense of pride in what we have achieved and with gratitude for so many amazing memories.' He added: 'What we did together over these years is very special and unforgettable.'
Rodri becomes the third major acquisition for Barcelona this summer, following Anthony Gordon from Newcastle and Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.