Wolverhampton Wanderers are in ongoing "negotiations" regarding a summer deal to bring Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez to the Premier League, according to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo.
Who is Guido Rodriguez?
Rodriguez is naturally a defensive midfielder who has played his football at the Benito Villamarin Stadium for the past three years since joining from CF America back in January 2020, and during that time, he’s become a regular feature of Manuel Pellegrini’s side having started 33 out of 38 La Liga matches last season.
However, the 29-year-old’s contract is set to expire in less than a year meaning that there’s a strong chance he could be sold for a decent fee before the end of the current transfer window, and should he depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors waiting to snap him up.
The Argentina international firmly established himself as the Spanish outfit’s both defensive and overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.98 during the previous campaign, and it appears that his high standard of displays have caught the eye of Fosun and Julen Lopetegui at Molineux.
Are Wolves signing Guido Rodriguez?
Taking to Twitter, Merlo revealed that Wolves are currently in talks for Rodriguez, though at this stage, it doesn't sound as if a deal is anywhere close to completion between the two parties. He wrote:
"Wolves is interested in signing Guido Rodriguez, a Betis midfielder whose contract ends in June 2024. There are negotiations underway between the clubs, but for now nothing close to being finalised."
Wolves recently lost their talisman in Ruben Neves, who has completed a move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, so Lopetegui will need to enter the market for a suitable replacement in that defensive midfield position, and having been lauded a “creative” number six by journalist Josh Bunting, Rodriguez could be the perfect heir.
Last season he ranked in the 99th percentile for tackles and the 98th percentile for clearances versus other players in his position, form which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards, highlighting his desire to get stuck in and clear the danger to protect his backline.
Real Betis’ £28k-per-week earner, however, is also capable of contributing to efforts in the final third having scored seven goals and provided three assists since joining, so the fact that he’s impactful at both ends of the pitch will be yet another attractive attribute to those at Molineux.
Furthermore, the Betis star has the flexibility to operate in four different positions across the pitch, including three roles in the midfield and even at centre-back, so he would be an excellent versatile option for the manager to have at his disposal.
Finally, Rodriguez already knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured eight pieces of silverware since the start of his career, the most notable being when he was crowned 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina, so he could instil a much-needed winning mentality into the rest of the squad in the Midlands.
