Spain captain Rodri arrived in Barcelona on Monday to complete his move to La Liga champions Barcelona, bringing one of the summer’s biggest transfer sagas closer to an end.

The midfielder was greeted by journalists at the airport and expressed his excitement at joining Barcelona, describing the move as a dream.

“I’m very pleased to be here. The last few days have been intense, but I’m glad everything’s sorted. Of course, playing for Barcelona is a dream,” Rodri said.

The 30-year-old also revealed his eagerness to begin working with his new team-mates, many of whom he already knows from international duty with Spain.

“I can’t wait to be with my team-mates; I already know many of them from the national team. It’s time to get down to work and give it our all,” he added.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner said his main targets with Barcelona will be the Champions League and any other trophies that become available.

Rodri arrived in the Catalan capital one day after Manchester City and Barcelona reportedly reached an agreement over a transfer worth around €75 million ($87m), according to reports in the Catalan press.

A source within Barcelona told AFP on Sunday that the deal was expected to be officially announced “in the coming days”.

The midfielder has endured a difficult couple of seasons with injuries but was back to his best as Spain lifted their second World Cup in North America last month.

Rodri leaves Manchester City after seven trophy-filled years at the club, having established himself as one of the world’s leading midfielders.

The former Atletico Madrid and Villarreal player had reportedly been close to joining Real Madrid, but ultimately chose a move to their fierce La Liga rivals instead.