Barcelona ready to return with €60 million bid for Rodri after opening offer rejected

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Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of Rodri with a significantly improved proposal for the Manchester City midfielder, giving the Catalan club renewed hope of getting one of their biggest summer targets.

According to an update from Paul Joyce in The Times, Barcelona’s second formal offer is worth €60 million fixed plus bonuses. 

The new proposal comes after City rejected the club’s initial bid and marks a clear attempt from Barça to bridge the gap in negotiations.

Notably, Barcelona do not want the Rodri transfer to drag deep into the summer, with the club hoping to reach an agreement soon enough for the Spain captain to join his new teammates and begin working under Hansi Flick.

For now, Manchester City have not agreed to the deal, but the new offer shows that Barcelona are prepared to move closer to the English club’s valuation.

Barcelona raise their offer for Rodri

Barcelona will return with a second offer for Rodri. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s first proposal was worth €45 million, but Manchester City were not prepared to accept a figure that fell well short of their expectations.

City’s position had been that Rodri would not be allowed to leave for a relatively modest fee, despite the midfielder having only one year remaining on his contract. 

Reports from England had put their asking price at around €80 million, which left Barcelona with a difficult negotiation.

Rather than walking away, the Catalan club will now return with €60 million guaranteed, while adding bonuses to the package. 

The structure of the new offer is designed to bring the overall value closer to Manchester City’s demands without forcing Barça to pay the full asking price up front.

Rodri’s situation gives Barcelona confidence

Barcelona’s first bid for Rodri was rejected by Man City. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

One of the biggest factors working in Barcelona’s favour is Rodri’s contract situation.

The Spain international has just one year left on his Manchester City deal and, according to the reports surrounding the negotiations, has shown no desire to extend it.

That changes the equation for City, who still have every reason to protect the value of one of their most important players, but allowing Rodri to enter the final year of his contract without an extension could leave them with a much bigger problem later.

Notably, this is where Barcelona are attempting to take advantage.

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Orlando Pirates will be aiming to maintain their strong start to the Betway Premiership season when they travel to Durban to face AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday night.

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The Buccaneers are preparing for their first midweek league assignment of the campaign and their first trip outside Soweto.

The match also begins a demanding run of consecutive away fixtures for Orlando Pirates.

Orlando Pirates opened their league title defence with a 2-0 victory over Milford FC before producing a dramatic result against Durban City in the MTN8 quarter-finals. Gamphani Lungu scored the decisive goal in the 120th minute to send the Buccaneers into the next round.

Top of the standings

Now, attention turns back to league football, with another three points potentially lifting Orlando Pirates to the top of the standings.

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou knows the importance of building on last season’s success and has urged his players to maintain their high standards.

“We don’t have to forget that this season is very important for us. It’s very important, we must confirm what we did last season,” Ouaddou said.

The quick turnaround will test Orlando Pirates’ squad depth, but the club’s strengthening during the transfer window has provided the coach with more options.

Norwegian striker Sebastian Pedersen is among the latest additions and could soon make his first appearance for the club.

AmaZulu will provide a difficult test, particularly after their own strong start to the league campaign.

Usuthu are also looking to respond after being eliminated from the MTN8 in a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Sekhukhune United. Vuyo Letlapa scored in extra time to send AmaZulu out of the competition.

Coach Arthur Zwane expects a challenging encounter against the reigning league champions.

“It’s not going to be an easy one, and we’re playing against a Pirates team that won at the weekend,” Zwane said.

AmaZulu will be determined to make home advantage count as they chase a second consecutive league victory.

Orlando Pirates hold the upper hand

The recent head-to-head record heavily favours Orlando Pirates.

The Buccaneers completed a league double over AmaZulu last season, winning 2-0 in Durban before recording a 3-0 victory at Orlando Amstel Arena.

Those victories extended Orlando Pirates’ unbeaten league run against Usuthu to 21 matches.

Orlando Pirates have won 11 of those encounters, while 10 have ended in draws. AmaZulu’s last league victory over the Buccaneers came in October 2009 at Chatsworth Stadium.

Match details

AmaZulu vs Orlando Pirates
Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Date: Wednesday, 12 August
Kick-off: 19:30
TV: SuperSport PSL

Prediction

AmaZulu 1-2 Orlando Pirates

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