Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly eyeing Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez, as Julen Lopetegui seeks a midfield rebuild this summer.
The Spaniard bid farewell to Portuguese duo Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho this window, and will now look to find reinforcements to fill the void left by the former Molineux maestros.
Could Wolves sign Guido Rodriguez?
As reported by journalist Cesar Luis Merlo this week, Wolves are eyeing the LaLiga gem, who remains under contract at Betis until next summer.
Merlo confirmed the Old Gold’s interest in the 29-year-old midfielder, claiming that negotiations are ‘underway’ between the two clubs, over the player valued around £17m by FootballTransfers.
While he added that the deal isn’t close to being finalised, the Midlands outfit's interest comes at a time when Betis may prefer a sale than for the player to depart as a free agent next year.
How good is Guido Rodriguez?
It’s integral for Lopetegui to identify a sufficient replacement for the departed duo Neves and Moutinho, who were key figures in Wolves’ journey in the Premier League.
The Spaniard could land the perfect solution to the two exits in obtaining Rodriguez, who was identified as a “monster” by analyst Marcus Bring for his exploits in LaLiga.
Signed by Betis from Mexican side America back in the 2020 winter window, the Argentine could be on the move this summer, with a move to the Premier League a possibility.
Heralded for his defensive contributions, the midfielder could be the ideal replacement for Moutinho, who closed the lid on his five-year stay in the Midlands at the expiration of his contract at the end of last season.
While the long-serving 36-year-old veteran was primarily deployed in central midfield rather than the deeper areas that Rodriguez inhabits in Spain, the averages recorded by the Argentine last term suggested that he could be a sufficient ball-playing replacement.
As per FBref, the 29-year-old maintained a pass completion rate of 86.7% in LaLiga last season, as well as making an average of 4.17 final third passes per 90 to showcase his assured presence in the central channel.
Moutinho recorded similar averages to the World Cup winner, maintaining a completion rate of 80.4% in the Premier League and averaging 5.31 final third passes per 90.
Their numbers signify that the Betis enforcer could be a like-for-like trade for Lopetegui’s side, as a player with similar efficiency in distribution.
The most prominent area of Rodriguez’s game is his defensive contributions, averaging a monstrous 3.60 tackles per 90 in LaLiga, ranking him in the top 2% of midfielders in the league, via FBref.
Moutinho fell short of the 29-year-old machine in such areas, averaging 2.58 tackles for Wolves, as well as recording 0.91 interceptions to the Betis star’s 1.32 per 90.
Possessing the innate balance between defensive and distribution strengths in the engine room, Lopetegui could fill the vacancy left by the Portuguese veteran in the middle of the park.
It’s expected that the Midlands side will have to make additional sales to make such moves in the window, despite accumulating around £80m in departures so far, only time will tell if the deal will prevail.