Enzo Maresca addressed Manchester City’s busiest transfer storylines at his pre-match press conference on Friday, saying the window remains open and that anything could happen regarding Rodri, while ruling out any new signings before the end of the day. City face Premier League champions Arsenal in the Community Shield in Cardiff on Sunday. It is Maresca’s first competitive fixture as manager.
Barcelona are preparing a third bid for the Spain midfielder, worth around £60 million according to The Independent, but that figure still falls roughly £10 million short of City’s asking price. The Catalan club’s two previous offers were both rejected, one of them described by The Independent as derisory. Real Madrid had also been in the frame but have since cooled their interest, with Rodri understood to prefer a move to Camp Nou over the Bernabeu.
City Frustrated by Barcelona’s Approach
The Independent reported that City have been left both baffled and frustrated by how negotiations with Barcelona have unfolded, with neither Spanish club coming close to the club’s £70 million valuation. Manchester City Reject Barcelona’s Second Rodri Offer as Fee Gap Persists Maresca, speaking to reporters on Friday as confirmed by AFP via Yahoo Sport UK, said he had just seen Rodri in the building and that the 30-year-old looked well following back surgery. He pointedly added that the transfer window is open and players can both arrive and depart.
Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024 and was named player of the tournament at the 2026 World Cup in North America. He joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019. One year remains on his deal at the Etihad.
Fernandez Bid Not Coming on Friday
Chelsea set a 5pm Friday deadline for City to lodge a formal £120 million offer for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez or risk losing access to the player. Maresca made clear no deal would be submitted that day. He told reporters at the press conference that he did not expect City to do anything on Friday, per The Football Faithful.
The Guardian reported that City are monitoring Fernandez as a potential replacement should Rodri leave, with Maresca having worked with the 25-year-old during his time at Chelsea. Fernandez was a central figure in the side that finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Europa Conference in 2024-25, as well as the Fifa Club World Cup last summer. Chelsea want a flat £120 million. That figure is seen as a possible stumbling block, though The Independent noted that sufficient progress had been made in talks for Chelsea’s deadline to be treated with some flexibility.
Reijnders Heading to Saudi Arabia
City are also set to lose midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who arrived from AC Milan for £46.5 million last summer and is now on the verge of joining Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah in a deal estimated at £51 million, according to AFP. Reijnders started just half of City’s Premier League fixtures last season. Maresca, as reported by AFP, acknowledged the situation was straightforward: when the club, player and manager all agree a move is the right outcome, the player should go.
City have already spent £116 million on Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forest. They are also close to completing a deal worth around £85 million for Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, according to The Guardian. Manchester City Brace for Tougher WSL Title Defence as Rivals Strengthen Maresca said further business was likely before the window closes on 1 September, though the exact number of arrivals depends on how many players depart.
