Barcelona supervisor Hansi Flick didn’t understand it on the time, however he may simply have been describing Rodri in April when he spoke about what his facet wants to get even higher.
“We need players with leadership on the pitch,” Flick, who has guided Barça to back-to-back LaLiga titles in his two years with the membership, mentioned. “This is important in the [key] moments. It’s about speaking or telling a teammate ‘One or two meters left or right, or press.’ This is what we need on the pitch, to speak more.”
Rodri, described because the “laptop who makes Spain tick” by 2026 World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente, matches that description to a tee. One instance amongst many got here when Spain had been behind in opposition to Georgia within the Euro 2024 spherical of 16: Rodri actually stopped in the course of the pitch, the ball at his ft, and informed his teammates what to do. Spain gained that recreation 4-1, and later gained the match, too.
“At that moment, I thought that was what I had to do,” Rodri told ESPN after the game. “It was a little bit mad; 10 minutes where we lost control. Sometimes, 20 or 30 seconds of saying to people ‘Calm down’ is more productive than going on the attack.”
Two years on from that second, Rodri is becoming a member of Barcelona from Manchester City in a switch price an preliminary €60 million, with one other €16.5M due in potential add-ons. He might be Flick’s laptop on the pitch.
The 30-year-old, who gained the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, turns into Barça’s fifth signing of the summer time. The membership’s window is starting to rival that of Real Madrid, who spent north of €200 million on six signings early within the window as they give the impression of being to finish Barça’s current dominance of LaLiga.
Flick has not been afforded the identical luxurious of so many signings since taking up at Camp Nou in 2024. That has modified dramatically this summer time, although, with former City teammates Rodri and João Cancelo (free) arriving this week, including to earlier additions of Anthony Gordon (€70 million), Karim Adeyemi (€22 million) and Jesse Bisiwu (€8.5 million).
More signings may but observe. Barça nonetheless desire a No. 9 striker following the exits of Robert Lewandowski (Chicago Fire, free) and Ferran Torres (PSG, €50 million) — Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez stays their major goal, though a deal is proving tricky to full. A middle again may additionally are available, funds allowing, after Ronald Araújo left for Liverpool on mortgage.
Barça’s motion out there is in stark distinction to Flick’s first two summers. Dani Olmo (€61 million) and Pau Víctor (€5.5 million) had been the one signings in his first season in cost; they had been adopted by goalkeeper Joan García (€25 million) and Roony Bardghji (€2.5 million) final yr, with Marcus Rashford and Cancelo becoming a member of on mortgage. All of these offers mixed totaled lower than €90 million, however the checkbook has been opened this yr by membership president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.
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Marcotti: Rodri’s transfer to Barcelona from Man City ‘is mindless’
Gordon, who joined from Newcastle United, had been linked prior to now, however the velocity with which the deal was accomplished earlier than the World Cup got here as a shock. Gordon’s switch price Barça nearly €70 million — far more than the €30 million they may have signed Manchester United‘s Marcus Rashford for due to a clause in his mortgage contract final season — however sources informed ESPN the membership’s decision-makers felt that Gordon, whose wage is additionally decrease than Rashford’s, was the higher match.
Gordon, 25, is seen as somebody with room to enhance however, extra importantly, one who matches Flick’s fashion higher: excessive depth, urgent, nonstop operating. It was telling that the England worldwide, who can play throughout the frontline, in contrast himself to workaholic Barça winger Raphinha at his presentation in June.
Adeyemi, who joined from Borussia Dortmund, provides depth to an assault that has misplaced Rashford, Lewandowski and Torres. The Germany worldwide joined for an preliminary €22 million and has appeared sharp in preseason. Bisiwu is extra of an unknown amount. The 18-year-old seems unlikely to function a lot, given the competitors throughout the frontline, however he confirmed a glimpse of why Barça paid Club Brugge €8.5 million to signal him when he scored two targets in Sunday’s 5-2 pleasant win in opposition to Basel.
A 3rd spell at Barça for Portugal fullback Cancelo had been on the playing cards for a very long time. He terminated his contract with Al Hilal final weekend, permitting him to be a part of Barça completely, this time as a free agent. His signing coincided with Rodri’s, taking Barça’s whole spend this summer time, earlier than add-ons, north of €150 million.
While ESPN sources say Gordon is seen as a key determine, it is the signing of Rodri that has raised hopes of success this season. Expectations had been low when Flick took over on the again of a trophyless 2023-24 season beneath Xavi Hernández. However, fueled by the trio of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri, Barça gained LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España, firmly reestablishing themselves because the group to beat in Spain for maybe the primary time since Lionel Messi left the membership in 2021.
That lifted the bar forward of final season, when extra trophies had been demanded. They adopted within the type of one other LaLiga title and the Supercopa de España, however Barça once more got here up quick in Europe. They have fallen within the semifinal and the quarterfinal of the Champions League beneath Flick. It is progress in contrast to current years, after they twice dropped into the Europa League, nevertheless it is not sufficient.
Rodri doesn’t assure them a primary Champions League trophy since 2015, however ESPN sources have described his signing as a “statement of intent.” He has gained nearly all the pieces there is to win within the recreation — the Champions League, a European Championship, a World Cup and the Ballon d’Or — and the idea is that he’ll elevate these round him.
There have been comparisons to the arrival of Lewandowski in 2022, the final summer time when Barça closely invested within the squad. The Poland striker set requirements on and off the pitch in his first season on the membership and helped Xavi ship the primary league title of the post-Messi period.
Rodri had not really been a participant Barça had in thoughts earlier than the summer time; in years previous, Xavi was determined to signal a deep-lying midfielder, however Barça’s wants had barely modified beneath Flick.
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Who will begin as quantity 9 for Barcelona subsequent season?
That mentioned, Rodri had lengthy been touted as a attainable inheritor to Sergio Busquets, who left in 2023 (and, coincidentally, returned in a coaching role this week), however given City’s standing within the recreation in contrast to Barça on the time, he was by no means seen as an actual possibility. That he was satisfied by Deco and Flick, with ESPN sources saying the supervisor’s enjoying fashion was of nice attraction to Rodri, is an indication of Barça’s progress in recent times.
ESPN sources additionally highlighted the sweetness of beating Clásico rivals Madrid to a participant who would have fitted completely into the midfield on the Bernabéu. In truth, it appeared, and had performed for some time, as if Rodri would be a part of Los Blancos as he moved into the ultimate yr of his contract with City. So the view is that not solely have Barça landed the 2026 World Cup’s Golden Ball winner, they’ve additionally prevented Madrid from signing a participant who may have improved them.
“For me, Rodri is worth €35 million in terms of what he gives Barcelona,” former Madrid participant and coach Jorge Valdano told Movistar this week, “and another €40 million for what he denies Real Madrid.”
Barça’s spending has been fueled by a need to give Flick the instruments ESPN sources say he has earned. Moving on large earners comparable to Lewandowski, Marc-André ter Stegen and Ronald Araújo has created house on the wage invoice, whereas cash has been raised via the departures of Torres (€50 million), Ansu Fati (€11 million), Tommy Marques (€10 million), Jofre Torrents (€5 million) and Iñaki Peña (€3 million), whereas Barça additionally pocketed a €4.8 million price as a part of a clause in Jan Virgili’s transfer from Mallorca to Club Brugge. Marc Casadó and Héctor Fort are additionally anticipated to go away.
The expenditure has additionally been attainable, partially, due to a return to Camp Nou. That has elevated Barça’s LaLiga spending restrict, though ESPN sources say it may fall once more if they’ve to return to the Olympic Stadium later in 2027 when the roof is placed on the redeveloped Camp Nou. That is one more reason, sources mentioned, for the push to give Flick a greater squad this summer time.
That doesn’t imply Barça have turned away from kids. Teenagers Pau Cubarsí, Marc Bernal and Yamal will nonetheless play vital roles, whereas Xavi Espart, Jordi Pesquer, Ebrima Tunkara, Brian Fariñas and Hamza Abdelkarim are among the many different youngsters to have impressed Flick in preseason.
For all that, Barça’s summer time may nonetheless hinge on whether or not they can signal a striker. Egypt‘s 18-year-old Abdelkarim is the one pure No. 9 on the membership, though Flick believes any of his forwards, in addition to Olmo and Fermín Lopez may play there.
Whoever joins, although, does not actually matter. Barça have set their stall out with the signing of Rodri, and others, this summer time. Flick has labored wonders with only a few reinforcements in his first two years in cost. Now, he has Rodri to discuss for him on the pitch, to defend a fragile backline and convey the perfect out of the kids surrounding him in protection and midfield.
It creates a unique enjoying discipline for Flick as he prepares for battle with Jose Mourinho’s Madrid. It doesn’t assure success as his third season launches on Sunday away at Elche, nevertheless it modifications how all the pieces might be seen as Barça hunt a LaLiga three-peat and the Champions League crown.