Rodri Set for Barcelona Move: Shirt Number Confirmed

Barcelona are hours away from unveiling Rodri as their new midfield anchor, and the details of the deal underline just how much the club are betting on him.

The Catalan side have reached a full agreement with Manchester City for the Spain international, with a fixed fee of 60 million euros and a further 16 million tied to incentives and variables. Rodri will sign a four-year contract worth more than 13 million euros net per season, a salary that immediately places him among the highest earners in the dressing room.

The financial package is heavyweight. So is the symbolism.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Rodri moved quickly on one of the most personal decisions a player makes: his shirt number. The midfielder asked Fermin Lopez to vacate the number 16, the number that has followed him through his Manchester City career and with the Spanish national team.

Fermin agreed. As Romano reported on X, the Barcelona youngster is preparing to switch to the number 7 shirt, clearing the way for Rodri to keep the “16” that has become part of his on‑pitch identity.

Barcelona are expected to confirm the number when they make the transfer official. All signs point in the same direction: Rodri walking out at the Spotify Camp Nou with the 16 on his back, starting a new chapter in Barcelona’s midfield with a familiar number and a very clear status.