Manchester City avoids selling Rodri.

Manchester City Football Club has rejected the first offer from Spanish club Barcelona worth £38.5 million ($51.9 million) to sign player Rodri, according to the British news agency "PA Media."

Rodri, who is 30 years old, has only one season left on his current contract, and his name has been strongly linked with a return to Spain.

Real Madrid hoped to sign Rodri; however, Barcelona has taken the lead in the race to acquire him, despite City firmly rejecting their initial offer.

It is believed that Italian coach Enzo Maresca's team is asking for around €80 million for the player who won the World Cup last month and received the award for the tournament's best player.

Rodri joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and contributed to winning four Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League during a successful period under former coach Pep Guardiola.

The midfielder won the UEFA Euro 2024 and the Ballon d'Or in the same year; however, a serious knee injury sidelined him for most of the 2024-2025 season.

Rodri participated in 33 matches across all competitions last season before joining the Spanish national team for the World Cup.