Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri, various sources have confirmed to ESPN.
Barça had failed with two previous bids for Rodri but the Spanish champions returned with a third offer over the weekend with the total package worth €76.5 million (£65.3M).
Sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday that a deal had subsequently been brokered with City, with the two clubs exchanging paperwork and finalizing the agreement.
Rodri, 30, is expected to arrive in Barcelona in the coming days and could be presented before Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy match against Al Ahly at Spotify Camp Nou.
The agreement for the Ballon d’Or winner came shortly after sources told ESPN fullback João Cancelo is also set to return to Barça as a free agent.
Cancelo and Rodri are set to become Barça’s fourth and fifth signings of a busy summer following the arrivals of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu.
The club remain in the market for a striker, too, with Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez their top target following the exits of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Rodri was not initially a priority signing at the start of the summer but the club jumped on the opportunity once he became available after winning the World Cup with Spain.
A long-term injury suffered by Frenkie de Jong had also forced Barça to explore the midfield market.–ESPN
