City reject Barcelona's €45M offer for Rodri, demand double

The operation intensifies: according to The Guardian, Manchester City has rejected Barcelona's €45M (£38.5M) offer for Rodri and maintains its demand for at least £60M to allow the World Cup-winning captain to leave.

Negotiations heat up following the breakdown of talks between the midfielder and Real Madrid this week. The 30-year-old Rodri, in the final year of his City contract, has agreed personal terms with Barcelona after signalling his desire to return to Spain following Pep Guardiola's departure. He met with manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco on Wednesday to finalize details.

Barcelona continues negotiating in hopes of a compromise, particularly urgent after Frenkie de Jong suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for months. Rodri, last month's Ballon d'Or winner, is recovering from minor back surgery that will keep him out of most of City's pre-season.

Meanwhile, City moves forward on other fronts: sealed the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116M and negotiates with Lille over Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who could cost up to £80M.