Manchester City have rejected Barcelona's opening offer for Rodri, although various sources have confirmed to ESPN that talks between the clubs will continue in the coming days with the aim of reaching an agreement. The Spain international had been in negotiations with Real Madrid for weeks, but Barcelona entered the race in earnest on Thursday after reaching an agreement with the player, with the remaining hurdle being convincing City to let their star midfielder leave.

A source close to the deal told ESPN that City rejected the initial proposal, but Barcelona remain confident the club will soften their stance, given that Rodri is set to become a free agent next summer. Sources indicate that Barcelona's first offer was in the region of €50 million ($57.79m) -- made up of a fixed fee and add-ons -- but representatives from the Catalan club declined to confirm the exact figure.

Barcelona intend to continue talks over the coming days to finalise the deal as soon as possible. Barcelona's Spanish World Cup winners such as Pedri and Lamine Yamal are due to report for duty on Monday after being given time off. Meanwhile, 30-year-old Rodri is on holiday in Ibiza with his family while his future is being resolved. Madrid have not been entirely ruled out, but sources suggest to ESPN that the player's priority is to continue his career at Barcelona.

Barça have already secured the signings of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, and Jesse Bisiwu, and also hope to finalise a deal for João Cancelo. The club plans to make another attempt to sign Julián Álvarez, the forward targeted to replace Robert Lewandowski.