Rodri joins La Liga champions Barcelona from Manchester City
BARCELONA: Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri said he was ready to “feel that excitement again” after completing his move to Barcelona from Premier League side Manchester City on Tuesday. In a statement on their website, the La Liga champions said the 30-year-old has signed a deal that will run until 2030, bringing an end to one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the summer. After two failed bids, Barca and Man City reached a deal on Sunday, which a source from the English club told AFP would go up to 76.5 million euros ($88.6 million), including bonuses. Rodri then arrived in the Catalan capital the following day to thresh out personal terms with his new club. “I’m very happy and excited about this new stage in my career,” Rodri said during his unveiling on Tuesday. “It’s a fresh challenge, a chance to experience new things and feel that excitement again.” After seven trophy-laden years at Man City, the former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal player was reported to be close to joining Real Madrid, before finally opting for their arch-rivals. The midfielder has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons but shone as Spain won their second World Cup in North America last month. Despite Barca’s recent dominance of La Liga, they have failed to lift European club football’s biggest trophy since 2015, when the club’s star-studded attack of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez fired them to their fifth Champions League title. “It’s a pleasure to be at Barca.
