Unbelievable overall package! Barca reportedly have to pay a total of €210 million for Rodri
To prise Rodri away from Manchester City and sign him, Barcelona apparently have to stretch themselves considerably. The overall package is said to amount to an unbelievable sum.
According to calculations by the Spanish newspaper as, signing the Spanish world and European champions would cost the Catalans a hefty €210 million. The figure includes the transfer fee, agent commission, salary and bonuses.
The paper puts the transfer fee at €80 million, which, according to matching media reports, Man City are said to be demanding at least for Rodri. The Sky Blues are also understood to have rejected Barca's most recent offer, said to be worth €64 million.
Rodri's salary demands, meanwhile, would be at least €15 million net plus bonuses. If the 30-year-old signs a four-year contract, which would be standard in the industry given his standing despite his advanced age, that would add more than €60 million. The report does not break down the remaining gap up to the alleged €210 million in any more detail.
Barca are also still courting Julian Alvarez's services, with Atletico Madrid said to be demanding €150 million for him. That naturally raises the question of how the club, which has been heavily in debt for years, can afford such spending at all.
Barca: How can FC Barcelona afford these expenses at all?
For one, Frenkie de Jong, who is injured again, could head for the exit if Rodri arrives. Ferran Torres, meanwhile, is on the verge of a move to PSG. Two high earners have also left the Blaugrana: Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford.
Barca are also benefiting from the return of the 1:1 rule. That means every euro that comes into the club can be reinvested. Previously, they could only use part of that income again for transfers because the rest had to go on excessive salary costs and other debts.
Camp Nou will soon start bringing in significantly more money again too. The renovation is due to be finally completed at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. That should lead to much higher ticket revenue. The sale of VIP seats, of which there are now significantly more, will bring in further millions.
The controversial debt-financed business model also remains in place. In July, the club announced that it had again borrowed €105 million from investors.
Such loans are nothing unusual for Barca now. Even so, the credit is of course tied to interest. The money must be repaid by October 2036. Until then, 5.14 per cent interest will go to the investors every year, most of them from the USA. In other words, more than €5 million a year.
