Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri arrives at Barcelona to sign a contract, calling it a ‘dream’ move.
PARIS: Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri arrived in Barcelona on Monday to sign a contract with the La Liga champions as one of the transfer sagas of the summer draws to its conclusion.
“I’m very pleased to be here. The last few days have been intense, but I’m glad everything’s sorted. Of course, playing for Barcelona is a dream,” the midfielder told journalists waiting for him at the airport.
“I can’t wait to be with my team-mates, I already know many of them from the national team. It’s time to get down to work and give it our all,” the 30-year-old added.
Rodri said his aims with Barcelona would be “the Champions League and whatever else comes our way”.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner landed in Barcelona the day after Manchester City and his future employers reached an agreement on a transfer fee of around 75 million euros ($87 million), according to the Catalan press.
A source within Barcelona told AFP on Sunday that the deal would be made official “in the coming days”.
Rodri has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons but shone as Spain won their second World Cup in North America last month.
After seven trophy-laden years at Manchester City, the former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal player was reported to be close to joining Real Madrid, before finally opting for their arch rivals.
