In a recent report, AS has claimed that Arsenal have identified Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez as a summer target. However, it is understood that the Gunners would have to pay in excess of Є20m to land the Argentine midfield ace him in this off-season (via AS).
Rodriguez’s Impressive Campaign At Estadio Benito Villamarín
Rodriguez experienced a solid season with Real Batis as he was responsible for producing some commanding displays for them at the centre of the park. The 27-year-old participated in 38 matches for the Spanish outfit in the previous campaign across all competitions.
The Argentine sensation deserves a lot of credit for averaging 2.8 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 1.5 clearances, 0.9 shots and 1.0 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He even distributed possession with a lot of conviction from midfield after completing 84% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Rodriguez is currently playing some of the best football of his career which makes him a good option for a club like Arsenal as Mikel Arteta needs to add a fresh face to his midfield department following the disappointing debut season from Thomas Partey at North London.
What Will The Argentine Midfield Ace Add To Arteta’s Team?
Rodriguez is proficient at making life difficult for the opposition at the centre of the park. He is a decent tackler of the ball and can make some crucial interceptions at the back. The ten-time Argentina international has got outstanding defensive awareness that helps him clear the danger quickly inside his half. He is also a good passer of the ball and has established himself amongst the best defensive midfielders in La Liga.
At 27, Rodriguez is at his prime at the moment, so the Gunners can expect him to make an immediate impact if they can convince the player to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer. He will undoubtedly offer more competition for Thomas Partey and would serve as an upgrade over Granit Xhaka at the North London club.
We can expect the Argentine to add a lot of bite and steel to the Gunners midfield and could become a top performer under Arteta’s stewardship in the coming seasons. Plus, Rodriguez might even help bring UEFA Champions League football back to the Emirates next season if Arteta can acquire his services during this summer transfer period.
