Manchester City are hopeful of finally pushing through a deal for Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri, who has communicated his decision to leave the Spanish club.
Rodri, 22, emerged as City's first choice midfield target long before the end of the 2018-19 season, with the Premier League champions even reaching a preliminary agreement over personal terms, putting them in a position to pay his €70 million (£63m/$78m) buy-out clause at the end of the campaign.
However, concerted attempts from Atletico to renew his contract and raise that buy-out clause threatened to scupper the transfer, with sources close to the player informing Goal that he was seriously considering committing his future to the Madrid club.
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But Rodri recently decided that he will in fact leave this summer, and he informed Atleti of his choice on Monday. It is believed his preferred option is to play for Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, although sources close to the deal indicate that City are not the only club in the picture.
The English side are believed to be in the driving seat to wrap up his signature, as they would now need only to deposit the amount of his release clause to the Spanish league and conclude talks regarding personal terms.
But Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also showed varying levels of interest in the player while he deliberated over his future in recent weeks, and sources close to the player suggest that one other club is still in the running.
It is believed that Bayern are the most likely club to make a push to sign Rodri in the coming hours and days. The German club's sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, met Rodri's agent, Pablo Barquero, in Madrid in May.
Mats Hummels' expected departure for Borussia Dortmund could require Javi Martinez to move to centre-back, opening up a gap in midfield for Rodri to fill.
City are conscious that some similarly well-positioned transfers have fallen through in the past, and are therefore working to trigger the clause and finalise talks regarding image rights and bonus structure as soon as possible.
Sources indicate he would earn a basic salary in excess of £100,000 per week, plus performance-related bonuses, if he concludes his move to Manchester.
Additional reporting by Kerry Hau
