Aston Villa have reportedly opened talks with Real Betis over the possible signing of talented youngster Jesus Rodriguez.
The 19-year-old has come through the youth ranks with the La Liga side and has gone on to make 32 appearances at senior level, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
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The left-sided winger, who can also operate on the opposite flank, is currently part of the Spain U21s squad competing at the European Championship this summer, and so it appears as though he could have a bright future ahead of him for club and country.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have started talks with Betis over a potential deal to sign Rodriguez and so it’s undoubtedly a stepping up of our pursuit as he adds that several other clubs have an interest in the Spaniard too.
Time will tell if a deal can be done and the player is convinced about a move to join us, while it also remains to be seen when the possible transfer would go through given Villa have work to do to comply with PSR ahead of June 30.
Nevertheless, it’s clearly an area of our current squad in which we need to improve, particularly with Marcus Rashford not expected to return after his loan spell, and so Unai Emery will be eager to bring in a long-term solution on that flank to add a new dynamic to our attack.
While Morgan Rogers can shift across and play there if needed, the Villa boss would surely prefer to deploy him centrally in his favoured role, while the same can be said for John McGinn and Donyell Malen.
In turn, it’s only Jacob Ramsey who can really play in that position as a natural role on a consistent basis, and with Villa looking to compete on multiple fronts again next season, competition for places and depth will be needed.
It’s arguably also a clear insight into Villa’s transfer plans this summer too with our PSR and SCR issues, as we’ll need to watch our spending and lower the wage bill while trying to assemble an increasingly competitive squad for Emery to have at his disposal. Should Rodriguez arrive, it’s hoped that he can prove to be an ideal addition to improve the squad and contribute in a key role.
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He also played 5 times as a rightwinger in La Liga last season scoring one goal from that position. He has a €35/£30 million release clause. Hopefully Monchi can get it down, but several other clubs interested aswell.