Because he is a Ballon d'Or winner and the best player in the world at possibly the most important position?
Posted on August 18, 2026 at 02:22:04 PM by GritsGoBlue
Here's the case for Rodri:
1. Pep said that he would be back to full speed at the World Cup. That was consistent with most ACL recoveries (you're out for a year and then at less than top speed for the second year) and it proved to be true.
2. As a City fan put it to me, a team with a healthy Rodri is basically impossible to beat. They dominated the EPL with him and the only factor keeping them from dominating Europe was the Real Madrid virus, a condition for which Barca has the right antibodies.
3. The price is actually 60M. The remaining 16.5M come from variables. If he is hurt most of the time, then I suspect that some or all of those conditional payments won't come due.
4. It's not just that Barca signed him; it's that they kept him away from Madrid and he is literally the exact player that they have desperately lacked since Kroos retired. How Florentino doesn't see this is beyond me but I think that he has succumbed to his Trump stage.
5. Rodri improves Barca's defensive presence against counters substantially and that is the most important aspect on which they needed to get better because of the way that Hansi plays. It's more important than adding more depth at CB. Also, there are no concerns about a stylistic fit because he has played for Pep and LDLF, both of whom play a somewhat similar style.
6. His presence means that they won't run Pedri into the ground and they will have the ideal mentor for Bernal.
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