Man City reject Barcelona's opening Rodri offer

Manchester City have rejected an initial offer from Barcelona for Rodri, with the opening bid judged to be well below the Premier League club's valuation of the Spain midfielder.

City knock back Barcelona's first move

Barcelona's first proposal was worth around £40m, but City are understood to want more than £60m for the 30-year-old, who is now in the final year of his contract.

That gap in valuation has brought discussions to a halt for the time being. Even so, Barcelona have not ended their pursuit and are planning to make another offer in the coming days.

Rodri's future remains in focus

Sources in Spain believe Rodri would favour a move to Barcelona rather than Real Madrid if he were to leave.

City's preference, however, is not to sell. The club want to keep the World Cup-winning Spain captain and are instead aiming to reach an agreement over a new deal.

There is, though, an important caveat to City's position. If Rodri were to make it clear that he wants to move on, the club would not stand in his way.

Replacement options being considered

As City weigh up what they might do if the situation changes, Sky in Italy report that Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is regarded as Enzo Maresca's "dream" signing.

For now, the immediate focus remains on Rodri and whether Barcelona can return with an offer closer to City's expectations. The current standoff reflects both City's desire to retain a key midfielder and Barcelona's determination to test that resolve again.