The Rodri presentation at Barcelona is pencilled in for 1pm on Tuesday, Mundo Deportivo report, with the Spain captain landing in Catalonia on Monday evening after the Blaugrana and Manchester City struck an agreement in principle over the weekend. The 30-year-old will rest at his hotel overnight, undergo medical and physical tests first thing on Tuesday morning, then sign.
Rodri presentation timed for the Gamper
The 1pm slot is conditional on the paperwork clearing: Barcelona and City still have to exchange contracts before the club can put him in front of the cameras. Assuming it lands, Rodri will then be at the Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday evening for the Joan Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly, not to play but to be shown to the Culers alongside Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Jesse Bisiwu and Joao Cancelo. He is expected to take the No. 16 shirt vacated by Fermin Lopez’s switch to No. 7, after Ferran Torres’ move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Not everyone in Madrid is convinced Hansi Flick has landed a game-changer. Jorge Valdano, the former Real Madrid forward, coach and general manager, told Movistar Plus Deportes it was a strategic signing above all:
For me Rodri is worth €35m for what he adds to Barcelona and €40m for what he takes away from Real Madrid. He isn’t going to change Barcelona’s play too much, though he will put an accent on everything Hansi Flick proposes.
Barcelona will pay €60m up front plus performance-related add-ons, per Mundo Deportivo, on a contract to 2030. If Tuesday runs to plan, the summer’s longest saga ends with the reigning World Cup winner in Blaugrana on a Wednesday night at the Camp Nou.
