In a major development, journalist Ramon Alvarez reports that FC Barcelona have made significant progress in their pursuit of Manchester City midfielder Rodri, turning the race for the 30-year-old Spain international into a very real possibility.

Over the last few hours, the Catalan club has moved ahead of fierce rivals Real Madrid in the bidding process after initiating direct contact with both the player’s representatives and the executive hierarchy at Manchester City.

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Capitalising on stalled Real Madrid talks

The sudden shift in the transfer dynamic comes as a direct result of difficulties in the capital closing an agreement, reports Matteo Moretto. Negotiations between Real Madrid and Manchester City have officially stalled over the final valuation.

While Real Madrid had spent days holding advanced talks and trying to lower City’s €75 million asking price, the two clubs failed to reach a final compromise.

Barcelona in the lead. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s sporting department, led by Deco, became aware of this administrative standstill and moved quickly to exploit the window of opportunity.

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The current situation sees both Spanish clubs fully prepared to pay almost identical transfer fees to Manchester City to secure the defensive anchor this summer, adds Fabrizio Romano.

International teammates pushing for Barcelona move

With the financial proposals to Manchester City sitting on a similar level, the ultimate decision regarding the transfer now rests entirely with Rodri himself.

The veteran midfielder had reached a verbal agreement on personal contract terms with Real Madrid days ago, heavily influenced by his desire to return to his home city.

However, Barcelona are now considering a major financial layout for the player, forcing him to carefully think about his options.

Spain teammates urging Rodri to join them at Barcelona. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

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A major factor driving Barcelona’s late surge is the influence of the Spanish national team locker room, as per Moretto.

Several of Rodri’s international teammates currently playing for Barcelona have been contacting him daily, trying to get him to change his mind and reject the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

These players are pitching a sporting role where he would become the absolute leader of Hansi Flick’s midfield spine, especially as the club looks to cover for the long-term injury of Frenkie de Jong.

The player is currently evaluating both projects before making a final decision on his next move. For now, Barcelona seem to have moved ahead in the race.