Rodri: Man City dealt huge transfer blow as 'deal agreed' for star midfielder

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who has given the prospective deal his trademark ‘here we go’ treatment on Sunday night. That was quickly followed by The Athletic and David Ornstein, who reported that the La Liga champions would pay €76.5million to the Premier League side for the midfielder, with a €60m fixed fee and over €11m in very achievable bonuses. The Spain international had been heavily linked with a return to his homeland having entered the final year of his contract, and Real Madrid were also thought to be potential suitors for the 30-year-old. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner did not feature for his club in their 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the Community Shield in Cardiff on Sunday, having been afforded an extended break following his and Spain’s World Cup win earlier this summer.