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Twenty-time English champions Manchester United have submitted a €20 million bid to sign Guido Rodriguez from La Liga outfit Real Betis, a report from 90min (via TheHardTackle) has claimed.
The Red Devils, who were beaten 2-1 in their Premier League opener against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (August 7), are eyeing midfield reinforcements. They had reportedly agreed on a transfer fee with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong, but failed to convince the Dutchman to join the club. Chelsea are now believed to be leading the race for the 25-year-old’s services.
Having given up hope of signing the former Ajax midfielder, Manchester United have reportedly drawn up a list of potentially attainable targets. Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot and Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are believed to be their top two targets, with Rodriguez emerging as an alternative to Rabiot.
As per the aforementioned report, Erik ten Hag’s side have already submitted a €20 million offer for Betis’ Argentine midfielder and are discussing personal terms with him. The Spanish outfit, however, are supposedly demanding a transfer fee in the region of €25 million, as they will have to pay Rodriguez’s former club, Club America, a 30 percent sell-on fee.
Rodriguez joined Betis from Club America in January 2020 and has nearly two years (June 2024) left on his contract. He has thus far played 100 games for the club across competitions, recording five goals, three assists, and winning a Copa del Rey (2021-22).
Guido Rodriguez could be an improvement over Fred or Scott McTominay at Manchester United
Manchester United profusely struggled to build from the back in their Premier League opener against Brighton. Fred, who was responsible for pushing the ball forward from deep, often failed to beat the Seagulls’ press and ended up squandering possession on multiple occasions.
Scott McTominay was also less than impressive, rarely doing anything to bring more attack-minded players into the fold.
Rodriguez may not be one of the most highly-rated defensive midfielders in the world, but he has the quality to distribute the ball from the back with commendable proficiency. He is also a good dribbler and regularly ventures into the opposition half from deep.
If Manchester United find a way to finalize the Argentina international’s transfer, he could become Ten Hag’s go-to defensive midfielder this season, making life considerably difficult for Fred and McTominay.
