Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in LaLiga ace Guido Rodriguez, as Julen Lopetegui looks to replenish his midfield this summer.
Following the sales of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, the Spaniard will seek reinforcements in the middle of the park in the transfer window, with the latest news linking them to an Argentine marvel.
Could Wolves sign Guido Rodriguez?
As reported by journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, the Old Gold have opened negotiations with Real Betis for the midfielder.
"Wolvesis interested in signing Guido Rodríguez, a Betis midfielder whose contract ends in June 2024," he tweeted. "There are negotiations underway between the clubs, but for now nothing close to being finalized."
However, there was no fee mentioned by Merlo over the player that is valued at €20.2m (£17.3m) by FootballTransfers.
An area that could benefit Wolves’ reported pursuit is the midfielder’s contract situation, in which he has one year remaining at Betis with the assumption that the Spaniards would not want to lose him as a free agent.
How good is Guido Rodriguez?
Maintaining an average Sofascore match rating of 7.07 in LaLiga last term, Rodriguez ranked in the top three of Betis’ best individual performers, highlighting his importance in the side.
Deployed as a defensive midfielder, the 29-year-old was part of Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad, highlighting the calibre of player that Lopetegui could obtain this summer.
Having previously been lauded as a “defensive monster” by European football analyst Marcus Bring, the Argentine machine flexed his competency in dominating the engine room last term, winning 60% of his total duels, with an average of 7.2 per game, via Sofascore.
For Wolves, introducing a midfielder with a strong approach to controlling the middle of the park is essential, in a move that could add to depth and challenge others in the squad.
Likened to Molineux ace Mario Lemina based on statistics, via FBref, the Betis gem could replicate the presence of the Gabon international, with his numbers suggesting he could perform at a higher level than the former Juventus man.
Signed by Wolves from Nice in January, the 29-year-old recorded 19 appearances in the Premier League for the Old Gold, being thrown straight into the action by Lopetegui.
Despite being a key part of the squad in the Midlands, the Argentine showed glimpses in Spain of being able to offer in areas that the former Southampton midfielder lacked in.
Averaging a monstrous 3.60 tackles and 1.32 interceptions per 90 in LaLiga, the Gabonese enforcer fell slightly short in such areas, averaging 2.63 tackles and 0.97 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League, via FBref.
A similar pattern was evident in the slight creative spark that the Betis man possessed, with him recording an average of 4.17 passes into the final third to Lemina’s 2.15 per 90 for the Midlands outfit.
With Joao Gomes also arriving during the January transfer window, it would be expected that the 22-year-old would be the Spaniard’s first-choice defensive midfielder, with the interest in Rodriguez posing as him being a potential heir to Lemina.
Adding depth to the squad is essential this summer, in a move that could positively influence competition for a starting spot at Molineux, inducing a rise in performance for consistent game time.
