Barcelona's pursuit of Manchester City midfielder Rodri continues to stall, with the two clubs still far from agreeing a transfer fee for the World Cup-winning Spain captain. The Catalan giants had an opening offer of £38.4m turned down by City last week and are now weighing up a follow-up proposal, though it remains short of what the Premier League club are demanding. City are understood to be holding out for a fee in the region of £60m before they would consider parting with the reigning Ballon d'Or winner. With Rodri now entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, City face a difficult balancing act between cashing in on an asset who could leave for nothing next summer and resisting a cut-price departure for one of their most important players of the past seven years. Rodri himself is said to be eager to head back to Spain after establishing himself as one of City's key figures since arriving from Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid had also shown interest in the 28-year-old before Barcelona moved ahead as the frontrunners to secure his signature. The saga comes at a time when City have already broken their own transfer record this summer, paying Nottingham Forest £116m to sign midfielder Elliot Anderson. That outlay suggests the club are not short of ambition in the transfer market, and they appear ready to reinvest further if Rodri does eventually depart. Manager Enzo Maresca's side have been linked with Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi as a possible successor in the engine room, while Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez—who worked under Maresca at Stamford Bridge—is also said to be admired by the Italian coach, who took charge at City ahead of the new campaign. Complicating matters further is Rodri's fitness. The Spaniard underwent minor back surgery following his exploits at the World Cup, where he was named Golden Ball winner as Spain lifted the trophy. The procedure has left a question mark over his readiness for the start of the new Premier League season. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his fitness and future, Maresca has expressed hope that Rodri will remain part of his squad through the campaign, ideally seeing out the final year of his deal at the club. City's stance reflects a broader reluctance to lose a player of his stature without recouping significant value, even as they acknowledge the risk of him running down his contract. Barcelona, for their part, appear undeterred by the initial setback and are expected to return to the negotiating table with an improved bid as they continue their push to bring the Spanish international to Camp Nou. The club's hierarchy views Rodri as a marquee addition who could bolster their midfield options as they look to build on recent domestic success and reassert themselves in European competition. With both sides holding firm on their respective valuations for now, the transfer saga looks set to run for some time yet, as City weigh the financial benefits of a sale against the footballing cost of losing one of their most decorated performers, while Barcelona continue their efforts to land the player they see as a priority target this window. Based on reporting from The Independent.