Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana said the club tried to persuade Rodri to remain at the club before his summer move to Barcelona, calling the Spanish midfielder irreplaceable.
Rodri completed a move to the Spanish champions in August, signing a four-year contract at Camp Nou for a reported fee of £65 million plus add-ons.
It brought down the curtain on a trophy-laden seven-year stint in Manchester, with Rodri the fulcrum of Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side.
During his time at City, Rodri won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Uefa Champions League in 2022/23. Memorably, he scored the winning goal as City beat Inter Milan in 2023 to become European champions for the first time.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner made 298 appearances across seven seasons at City after moving from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for what was a then-club record £62.8m.
After captaining Spain to World Cup success this summer, Rodri was linked with a move back to his home country.
He was the highest-profile departure from the club as new manager Enzo Maresca signed several replacements to usher in a new era at City.
Viana said: “He was here so many years winning, and I really believe that Rodri is a Manchester City fan also.
"It’s another player that had to go abroad. Of course we would have liked to keep him. We were having good and positive conversations with him and his agent.
"But after the World Cup, we had a really honest conversation again and he was thinking to move and to go back to his country, and we understood that.
"He had brilliant years. He’s another player that we cannot replace because he’s maybe one of the best if not the best in that position now.
"But of course, it’s another thing that we should be proud of how we treat that player that gave so much to this club when they are thinking to move, we have also to respect that and be positive."
As well as Rodri, City also said goodbye to defender John Stones and midfielder Bernardo Silva following the end of their contracts.
Forwards Savio and Omar Marmoush joined Tottenham Hotspur, while goalkeeper James Trafford was sold to Leeds United. Midfielders Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders also departed, with the former joining Newcastle United and the latter Al Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League.
"It’s also our job to be prepared for those situations and try to bring another Rodri, another John [Stones], another Bernardo [Silva], to be here for the next eight, nine, 10 years,” Viana added.
“It was a busy summer window ... We are happy that we did those kinds of deals. They were very important deals for the club this summer and all the players were having that desire to go and to have the opportunity to play more often every week.
"We wish all the best to all of them, and of course we cannot forget what they did with us.”
