Barcelona Set To Rival Atletico Madrid For This La Liga Midfielder: Good Choice For Barca? | OneFootball

In a recent report, Mundo Deportivo mentioned that Barcelona are set to rival Atletico Madrid for Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez. It has been stated that the Catalan club are showing interest in recruiting the Argentine talent this summer.

Rodriguez has enjoyed a solid campaign at Real Betis as he has managed to put in a series of solid displays at the heart of their midfield. The 30-year-old scored two goals and grabbed one assist in 29 matches for the Spanish outfit last season on all fronts.

The Argentine has anchored the midfield really well for his current club based on his average of 2.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.6 clearances per game in La Liga. He has also been tidy when distributing the ball after completing 85.9% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at Real Betis will run out at the end of this month which could open the door for Barca to sign him on a free transfer this summer.

SEVILLE, SPAIN – MAY 12: Guido Rodriguez of Real Betis reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Betis and UD Almeria at Estadio Benito Villamarin on May 12, 2024 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Is Rodriguez A Good Choice For Barcelona?

Rodriguez is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his team in the middle of the park. He usually puts his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive and is an accurate distributor of the ball from midfield.

The Argentine talent mainly functions as a defensive midfielder but can also operate as a box-to-box midfielder if asked to do so by his manager. We can expect him to add more bite and steel to Barcelona’s midfield department if the Catalan club can devise a way to convince the player to seal a move to the Nou Camp in this summer transfer window.

At 30, Rodriguez has still got a few good years left in him to play at a high level. Hence, he would be a decent choice for Barca to consider in the short term. Rodriguez already knows La Liga well by now and won’t take much time to adjust to life at the Catalan club. Thus, it makes sense for Barcelona to recruit the Argentine midfield enforcer on a free transfer later this year.