Barcelona rule out summer splurge to sign Man City midfielder as Busquets replacement

Earlier this month, the Spanish media claimed Barcelona are targeting Rodri as a direct replacement for Sergio Busquets, with the club even prepared to shell out as much as €90 million for the services of the Manchester City superstar.

Many in the Barça camp considered Rodri an ideal replacement for Busquets, whose contract at Camp Nou expires at the end of the season.

Although the Barça coaching staff is keen on keeping hold of Busquets for another season, there is a sense of fear that the veteran may leave the club in the summer. This has accentuated the need for a new defensive midfielder, with Rodri emerging as one of the targets.

However, Alfredo Martinez via SPORT has recently clarified that Barcelona are not in a position to afford Rodri. The Spanish international is currently the third-highest-paid player in the Manchester City team and it would be impossible for Barça to match his salary.

Not to mention, the Catalans are not in a position to undertake a transfer worth up to €70 million due to Financial Fair Play restrictions in La Liga. These factors have led to the Blaugrana ruling out a move for Rodri, as the transfer is deemed impossible this summer.

In fact, the club must reduce a whopping €200 million from its salary bill if they are to avoid sanctions by La Liga this summer.

Therefore, the Blaugrana require some serious cleanup and must focus on other alternatives in the market. They have appeared quite keen on securing the services of Real Sociedad starlet Martin Zubimendi, but the young midfielder could command a fee of around €60 million.

One alternative is Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Xavi, along with the rest of the coaching staff, are not convinced of the Portuguese international’s qualities. Hence, it will be interesting to see how Barça go about their business in the coming months.