Rodri has returned to his homeland, signing a four-year deal with Barcelona after leaving Manchester City.
The Spaniard has joined in a deal reportedly worth €76.5m (£65m), bringing down the curtain on his trophy-laden career with City.
He moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2019 from Atletico Madrid for a then club-record fee and went on to make 298 appearances for the club, scoring 28 goals.
Rodri, who led Spain to the World Cup this year and picked up the Golden Ball along the way, won 13 major honours with City, including the Champions League, with his goal proving the winner against Inter in the 2022-23 final.
“I am leaving the club with a huge sense of pride about what we have achieved and gratitude too for so many amazing memories,” Rodri said in a statement released on City’s website.
“What we have done together in these years is something both very special and unforgettable.Â
“First, I want to thank everyone I have worked with at City for all they have done for me and for helping me in so many amazing ways and helping me become the player I am.
“I want to also say a special thank you to all my incredible team-mates, past and present.
“They helped make every single day here a total joy. It has been such a special privilege to share the dressing room and the pitch with you all.
Rodri sets the tempo pic.twitter.com/MUwklwIiDr
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 18, 2026
“Lastly, I just want to pay a special tribute to the City supporters. You helped make me feel at home in Manchester from the moment I arrived, and you have always been there by my side.
“Thank you for supporting me and the team through good times and bad. It has been a pleasure to play in front of you all. My heart will always be blue.
“These seven years have been incredible. I have cherished every moment of what we achieved together and will always carry Manchester City in my heart.”
Rodri was an influential figure for City, proven by his absence during the 2024-25 season, when he missed the majority of the campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Since the 30-year-old’s arrival in July 2019, City have a 71.5% win rate with him on the pitch and lost just 36 matches when he was playing.
By contrast, they lost 30 matches when he was not involved, with their win percentage dropping to 63.3% across those 120 games.
During Rodri’s time at City, only Bernardo Silva (356) and Phil Foden (333) played more games in all competitions, but the Spaniard topped the charts for both passes (24,442) and successful passes (22,466), as well as touches (27,658).
City also look set to lose Tijjani Reijnders this transfer window, as he is being linked with a move to Al-Qadsiah.
Enzo Maresca’s team are said to be interested in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, as well as Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.
