Barca Refuse to Tap Out: Renewed Rodri Raid Incoming as City Brace for Midfield Meltdown

Barcelona are not backing down. Sources tell ESPN the Catalan giants are set to fire in a renewed bid for Manchester City midfield metronome Rodri, after already seeing two offers slapped away.

This isn't just a transfer saga anymore. It's a full-blown power play. Barça have already agreed personal terms with the Spain international, who has reportedly chosen the Blaugrana over Real Madrid. Now comes the hard part: convincing City to let go of their most important chess piece.

City's price tag: €70m and rising

City value the 30-year-old at more than €70 million (£60m / $81m), with Barca's latest proposal expected to land right in that ballpark. But after two failed attempts, the third offer needs to be the charm — or this saga rolls deep into the summer.

Rodri flew back to England this week following Spain's World Cup triumph in North America last month. On Friday, he finally met new City boss Enzo Maresca face-to-face. The coach, however, wasn't exactly slamming the door shut.

"When the transfer window is open, we can buy players, we can sell players, anything can happen," Maresca said ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash with Arsenal. "I just saw Rodri now, I gave him a big hug, he looks good. So let's see what happens."

City already prepping for life after Rodri

The noise around a potential departure is getting louder, and City are clearly not sitting still. With Bernardo Silva gone to Real Madrid on a free and a deal reportedly agreed with Al Qadsiah for Tijjani Reijnders, the Premier League heavyweights are desperate to beef up their midfield before potentially losing the Ballon d'Or winner.

They've already splashed a whopping £116 million ($154m) on Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, but the spending spree might not end there. Enzo Fernández and Ayyoub Bouaddi remain on City's radar, though Chelsea's £120m ($161.8m) demand for the Argentine looks like a major stumbling block — with Maresca hinting City won't meet Friday's deadline.

So where does this leave Rodri? Barca are pushing. City are preparing for war. And Rodri? He's already made his choice. Now we just need the clubs to catch up.