The Dominoes That Could Fall After Barcelona’s Blockbuster Rodri Deal

At the start of the summer transfer window, few would have backed Rodri to end up at Barcelona. Well, here we are.

A deal worth $88.5 million (£65.4 million, €76.5 million) has been agreed to take the Manchester City midfielder to Camp Nou with just two weeks left in the transfer window. It’s a big deal in isolation, but the knock-on effects could be even bigger.

With the fun part of the transfer window now arriving, here are the ways Rodri’s imminent switch to Barcelona could impact the market.

Barcelona

Midfielder Exits

With six midfielders on the books already and a unit that now looks set in stone for the next five years or so, it is inevitable that some of those on the fringes of Hansi Flick’s plans will have to leave.

Rodri’s arrival already appears to have ended plans of a breakout season for 19-year-old Tommy Marqués who, according to The Athletic, is set to join Braga in a deal worth $14 million (€12 million). A lack of minutes competing with Rodri is cited as a primary reason for the teenager’s desire to leave.

Another heading for the exit door is Marc Casadó. The 22-year-old’s departure has been on the agenda for a while now and Fabrizio Romano states things will now ramp up following the agreement to sign Rodri.

More Funds Raised

Barcelona are not done in the transfer market but, to the surprise of nobody who has followed the club over the past few seasons, do not boast the financial freedom to simply dive into their next piece of business.

The primary issue is not the transfer funds, but rather the space under La Liga’s wage cap. Rodri’s salary is going to be significant and will prove an obstacle for any other new signings to be registered. As a result, some already on the books are going to have to leave.

Alongside Marqués and Casadó, expect to see an exit for right back Héctor Fort, but there remains a sense that one big name could still be sacrificed.

The Next Superstar Move

It is no secret that Barcelona want to free up that salary space to finalize a deal for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez. A nine-figure fee and some significant wages will be needed to get this one over the line.

Convincing Atlético to sell is likely to be the toughest part of this, but Barcelona officials can now give this deal their full focus. That being said, with just two weeks left in the transfer window, there has to be a deadline, at which point Barcelona will try to land another striker.

We’ve seen Sporting CP’s Luis Suárez recently added to a list of alternatives that includes Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani, among others. Considering Barcelona do not currently have a single natural striker on the books, expect some serious movement over the next two weeks.

Man City

New Midfielder Needed

Ayyoub Bouaddi seems destined for the Etihad. | Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Losing Rodri creates an enormous void in Man City’s midfield—one which was abundantly clear even before their tame defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield.

Rodri’s exit, coupled with the imminent departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah, raises the funds for City to get back into the market. Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi seems like the chosen one, with the 18-year-old likely to command a mammoth fee.

Is a hypothetical midfield group of Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson, Nico González and Mateo Kovačić good enough for Enzo Maresca’s liking? Perhaps not.

A Bid for Enzo Fernández?

Interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández is far from a panicked response to the Community Shield defeat, but that humbling loss could easily spark the Cityzens into action here.

“We knew already before the game the things we needed to do,” Maresca reflected after the game. “Not because we lost the game. We are quite clear what we need to do. For sure, we are going to do something before the transfer [window] closes.”

Chelsea’s artificial deadline on Friday, Aug. 14 has come and gone, but that does not mean Fernández is guaranteed to stay at Stamford Bridge. An asking price of $162.5 million (£120 million) had been agreed with the Argentine’s agents to act almost as a release clause, but the window for that to be triggered is over. If City want to reunite the Enzos, they are going to have to make a very convincing offer.

The Midfield Merry-Go-Round

Assuming City do not settle for Bouaddi as their solitary replacement for Rodri, there could be some significant knock-on effects of this deal.

If City sign Fernández, Chelsea will be forced back into the market. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is a target and we have already seen the Blues fail with an offer for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott. Reports of interest in Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly have previously been brushed off but his performance in Cardiff on Sunday will undoubtedly have caught the eye.

Fernández is not the only big name under consideration, however. Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister is said to be of interest and an exit for the Argentine, who could follow Curtis Jones out of Anfield, would likely trigger a battle for many of the same targets currently under consideration by Chelsea.

The Rodri deal has sent the transfer market into overdrive, with some serious money likely to be changing hands as teams respond to the aftershock of the move.

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