Barcelona's Third Bid for Rodri Closes In on Manchester City's Price

MANCHESTER, England —

Barcelona has gone back to Manchester City with a third offer for midfielder Rodri, worth about 70 million euros ($76 million), after two earlier bids were rejected, according to Sportingpedia and reported by Yahoo Sports.

Barcelona's first two proposals were worth 50 million euros ($54 million) and 60 million euros ($65 million). Manchester City has been holding out for 80 million euros ($86 million), and that gap has been the sticking point in the talks, Yahoo Sports reported. The new offer sits roughly halfway between the two clubs' positions. It is not clear whether the figure includes performance bonuses.

A Deal Seen As Close

Transfer insider Ben Jacobs described the package on the table as worth more than 60 million British pounds, or more than 70 million euros (about $76 million), according to Get Spanish Football News. Jacobs said Barcelona is optimistic a deal can get done, Yahoo Sports reported.

Manchester City has not formally accepted Barcelona's improved terms, and until that happens, the move is not finished. Rodri has returned to Great Britain from a vacation in Madrid and is set to resume training with Manchester City, though that plan could change if the two clubs finish the deal quickly, according to Sportingpedia.

The Guardian reported that Rodri's proposed move remains unresolved heading into the new season, and that Manchester City is already looking at Enzo Fernandez as a possible replacement in midfield if Rodri leaves.

Other Business In Motion

Barcelona has also agreed to sell forward Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain for 50 million euros ($54 million), according to Sportingpedia, and that money is expected to go straight into funding incoming transfers, including a possible Rodri deal.

Separately, Barcelona is negotiating to bring back defender Joao Cancelo from Al-Hilal. The two sides had been close to a deal worth about 10 million euros ($11 million), but Saudi outlet Al Yaum reported that Al-Hilal has raised its asking price to 15 million euros ($16 million) after Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi left Cancelo out of the squad for the team's league opener. Sportingpedia reported that Inzaghi does not appear to be counting on Cancelo and does not believe he is fit to compete, despite Cancelo training with his teammates for a week. Cancelo has continued posting photos of himself in Barcelona's colors on social media, signaling he wants the move.

With the Rodri and Cancelo negotiations both still open, Barcelona faces decisions on multiple fronts as the transfer window nears its close.