Hansi Flick calls Rodri best No. 6 in world as Barcelona agree deal

Barcelona just landed the player widely regarded as the world’s best defensive midfielder, and the man who made it happen was the coach who picked up the phone first. Hansi Flick has publicly declared Rodri the best No. 6 in the world, a statement that doubles as both a compliment and a mission statement for how he intends to deploy the Spain captain at Camp Nou. How the deal came together Barcelona and Manchester City reached an agreement on August 16, 2026, with the transfer fee set at €76.5 million. Rodri, now 30, is expected to sign a four-year contract running through 2030. The negotiations had a clear turning point: Flick personally contacted Rodri in early August to lay out his vision for the squad. That conversation, by most accounts, was the moment Rodri’s preference shifted decisively toward Barcelona over interest from Real Madrid. Rodri has since arrived in the city, publicly describing the move as the fulfillment of a childhood dream. The formal announcement and medical are still pending as of this writing, but the player is in Barcelona. ESPN’s 2026 FC 100 rankings listed Rodri as “probably the best No. 6 in the world” at the defensive midfield position, a label that ...