Celta's Opener Postponed by Pitch Fungus as Barcelona's Rodri Pursuit Hits Another City Rejection
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Celta Vigo's opening La Liga fixture against Osasuna has been postponed after a technical inspection found a fungal outbreak had damaged the playing surface at Balaidos, with recent bad weather undermining recovery efforts. The postponement was agreed by both clubs and the RFEF following LaLiga's inspection, and the match has been rescheduled for 27 August.
Manchester City have rejected another offer from Barcelona for Rodri, according to Forbes, with City continuing to hold out for a fee closer to €80m against Barcelona's reported ceiling of around €70m. Personal terms between the player and Barcelona have been in place for some time, but the clubs remain apart on valuation as negotiations drag into a second week.
Barcelona's ability to complete the Rodri signing is tied to LaLiga's 1:1 financial fair play rule, with the club needing to generate fresh salary space before it can register him, according to Infobae. Ferran Torres' expected departure to PSG is seen as central to that plan, with his sale reportedly set to free up around €55m that Barcelona would use to balance the books and fund Rodri's arrival.
The 2026-27 La Liga season kicks off on Saturday 15 August, with Deportivo Alaves hosting Getafe at Mendizorrotza in Vitoria-Gasteiz as the campaign's first fixture.
Transfer and squad notes
Barcelona's wider summer accounting also depends on other outgoing deals clearing before the window shuts, with the club continuing to balance incoming targets like Rodri against the fair-play space freed up by sales such as Torres'.
What it means for the league
Celta's postponement leaves LaLiga with an early scheduling disruption right at kick-off, a reminder that pitch conditions can affect even routine season openers regardless of transfer business. Barcelona's Rodri pursuit is now as much a financial fair play story as a transfer negotiation, with the club's ability to register a marquee signing hinging on completing sales elsewhere before September's deadline. Manchester City's refusal to move off their valuation suggests they are prepared to let the deal run rather than discount one of their most important departures.