Spain midfielder Rodri has sealed a major transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona, bringing his glittering seven-year spell in England to an end.
Barcelona on Tuesday announced the signing of Spain's World Cup-winning captain Rodri from English Premier League side Manchester City. In a statement on their website, the La Liga champions said the 30-year-old has signed a deal that will run until 2030, bringing an end to one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the summer.
According to reports on Sunday, Barca and Man City reached a deal to complete the transfer of the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner for a fee of around €75 million (about R1.41bn). Rodri then arrived in the Catalan capital the following day to thresh out personal terms with his new club.
After seven trophy-laden years at Man City, the former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal player was reported to be close to joining Real Madrid, before finally opting for their arch-rivals.
The midfielder has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons but shone as Spain won their second Fifa World Cup in North America last month.
Rodri was a vital figure for Pep Guardiola at City, leading them to the 2023 Uefa Champions League and four Premier League titles among 12 major trophies.
"I am leaving the club with a huge sense of pride about what we have achieved and gratitude too for so many amazing memories," Rodri said in a statement on City's website. "What we have done together in these years is something both very special and unforgettable."
Rodri becomes Barcelona's third high-profile arrival this summer, following on from Anthony Gordon from Newcastle and Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has said he is set to start negotiations to extend his contract with the Bundesliga champions beyond 2027.
Speaking on Monday, the 33-year-old England captain explained the discussions had been delayed until after he returned from a post-World Cup holiday, but would begin soon.
"I'm not sure exactly when, but they'll start this week or next week," Kane said of the extension talks.
"We're calm, they're calm with the situation. Obviously, now's the time to start talking, because with only a year left it's important.
"But both sides are relaxed and I'm pretty sure there'll be talks this week or next week."
Kane arrived at Bayern on a four-year deal in 2023 and has won two Bundesliga titles and a German Cup, while making the Uefa Champions League semi-finals in two out of three seasons. He has scored a remarkable 146 goals in 147 games in all competitions for Bayern.
Bayern have repeatedly said they want to extend Kane's deal at the club, having called the former Spurs striker their "best transfer ever" at the end of last season. German media reported Kane's new deal would run until at least 2029.
Defending Bundesliga champions Bayern play at Borussia Dortmund in the season-opening Supercup on Saturday. | AFP