Barcelona’s two summer arrivals reached the city within hours of each other on Monday. João Cancelo landed at around 14:30 on a private flight, having posted a photograph from the jet on Instagram Stories captioned "On my way home". Rodri followed in the evening, due in at about 19:00 to begin the final formalities.
The medicals are not on the same day
Rodri’s was expected to be done and dusted immediately. It will now take place in Catalonia on Tuesday instead, according to Achraf Ben Ayad, rather than being completed in England beforehand as originally planned. A scheduling change rather than a complication, but it means the two signings will be confirmed a day apart rather than together.
Rodri cost €60 million, and that number ended a standoff
Barcelona and Manchester City have agreed a fixed fee of around €60 million plus variables, with Rodri signing until June 2030. That figure is the resolution of a fortnight of deadlock: City had been holding out for a package close to €80 million, while Barcelona refused to go beyond €70 million in total and kept their guaranteed money in the €60 to €65 million range. The final deal sits at the bottom of that band, which is a good afternoon’s work for the club that blinked last.
Cancelo cost nothing at all
The other arrival is free. Cancelo terminated his contract with Al-Hilal rather than let the clubs argue over a fee, after the Saudi side pushed their asking price from around €10 million up to €15 million and froze the negotiation. He signs a two-year deal on reduced wages, and becomes Barcelona’s fourth signing of the summer after Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu. Rodri makes five.
What is left
Rodri’s medical on Tuesday, then signatures and presentations for both. Cancelo already knows the building: he spent the second half of last season at Camp Nou on loan from Al-Hilal, played 23 times and convinced Hansi Flick early enough that the club decided to keep him permanently.