Barcelona have officially confirmed the arrival of Rodri from Manchester City, with the Spanish giants paying £65.4 million to secure the services of the World Cup-winning midfielder.

The 30-year-old, a former Ballon d'Or recipient who helped Manchester City claim four Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy, has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at the La Liga club.

A deal that took three bids

Rodri had one season remaining on his contract at Manchester City. Although the club were eager for him to extend his stay, Barcelona's persistence ultimately paid off. City rejected initial offers of £40 million and £55 million before the two clubs agreed terms on the third proposal.

City hunting replacements

Manager Enzo Maresca's squad now faces the challenge of replacing Rodri, as well as Tijjani Reijnders, who is expected to depart for Saudi Arabian club Al Qadsiah in a deal worth approximately £51 million.

Manchester City retain an interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, despite failing to submit a bid before the 5pm deadline on August 14. The club are also in discussions with Lille regarding Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the French side reportedly valuing the midfielder at around £85 million. Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti confirmed the talks at the weekend.

The Rodri effect by the numbers

Statistics underline just how influential Rodri has been at Manchester City since joining from Atletico Madrid ahead of the 2019/20 season. In the 87 games he missed from the starting line-up, City suffered 20 defeats — only one fewer than the 21 losses they recorded across 179 games in which he did start. The defeat rate effectively doubled in his absence.