The 30-year-old is officially a new Barcelona player, becoming the latest player to just ship at Man City for a reported €76.5 million fee.
Things could have been very different, however. Rodri’d most likely destination seemed to be Real Madrid before Barcelona came in a swooped him up from under their noses.
Speaking after being unveiled as a new Barcelona player, Rodri revealed it was his new club’s “understanding football and their values” that persuaded him to make the move.
"I would like to say that I am very happy to be here. It is a special day, an important new chapter in my career. It was a hard decision," Rodri explained.
"First because of leaving City, they gave me everything and I was tremendously happy and I will always be grateful. I thank them for facilitating my exit.
“Barcelona have always been a global benchmark for me, for their way of understanding football and their values. It is true that I had another proposal, but Barca were the first option and I told the board that."