BARCELONA' FIRST SUMMER TRANSFER! Why Guido Rodriguez Is Perfect For Blaugrana!
Although the transfer window has not yet officially opened, Barcelona HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THEIR FIRST TRANSFER DEAL!
The 2022 World Cup champion will move to the renovated Camp Nou!
You see, Guido Rodriguez is not one of those hyped players that the world media writes about day and night, but we can tell you for sure: this guy is going to be a BRILLIANT SIGNING for Barcelona!
Guido Rodriguez. Deal is DONE!
Guido Rodriguez, a 30-year-old midfielder from Real Betis, has become Barcelona's first summer transfer!
“Guido Rodríguez has already signed a pre-contract with Barcelona. He will arrive on July 1,” Gaston Edul, a trusted Argentine journalist, informed.
This news was confirmed by Fabrizio Romano: “Barcelona and Guido Rodriguez have verbal agreement in place since two weeks ago, approved by Xavi. To sign formal contracts, Barça have to wait for Financial Fair Play approval - deal remains imminent, waiting for formal steps. Two year deal with option until 2027”.
Another reputable Barcelona journalist, Toni Juanmarti, pointed out the fact of Xavi being the key factor behind the successful transfer: “Xavi's continuity plays in favor of completing Guido Rodríguez's signing. Xavi likes the player and has held conversations with him.”
Journalist Javi Giorgetti, the head of Barca Universal, a popular media outlet devoted to FC Barcelona, does not hide his excitement about the deal: “Personally, the signing of Guido Rodríguez excites me. He is good defensively, he arrives as a free agent, low salary, he wouldn't mind being a starter... Still, Barça should not lose the priority of signing a top pivot.”
And, indeed, this signing won't end Barcelona's transfer campaign for their problematic defensive midfielder position. This particular role will be prioritized for reinforcements, and most of the transfer moves will be concentrated in this area.
For instance, there are reports of Oriol Romeu leaving Barça after failing to reach the first team standards - the 32-year-old Spaniard is most likely to return to Girona.
Talking about one more transfer in, the second midfielder to join Guido Rodriguez should be one of the Joshua Kimmich and Martin Zubimendi pair. The Spaniard is a huge fan of both, but the German international has a better chance of moving in - he hasn't renewed a contract with Bayern yet, and has already had contact with Xavi, where he expressed his desire to represent Barcelona under his leadership. The manager’s role may prove to be decisive here as well. Zubimendi, in turn, is an ardent fan of his current side and it would be quite problematic to imagine him switching to another Spanish club now. But back to Guido...
Guido Rodriguez - perfect transfer for Barcelona
Guido is a 100% perfect transfer for Barcelona!
The first reason that should please the Catalans' supporters is the thorough approach the club took to pull off this free move! Having settled the issue with the head coach for next season with Xavi staying on, the board has ALREADY BEGUN to work on the transfer market!
Guido Rodriguez joining Barça as a free agent provides optimal conditions for the Catalans' financial situation, and given the departure of Oriol Romeu, our guy is basically going to replace an “important first team regular” and become a rotational squad player. No matter how you slice it, there are very few risks in this deal: low salary, a clear role in a team that is not a leading one, a short-term contract - implying an easy exit option in case the player fails to adapt, as Guido is only 30 and anyone could find such an experienced player useful.
Now let's move on to his “playing strengths”. The first thing to mention is Guido's ability to handle “high pressure”.
In the summer of 2021, when Argentina won the Copa America with Leo Messi for the first time, Rodriguez was one of the squad's difference makers, featuring in 6 of the 7 games. In 3/6 games, he was on the pitch for 90 minutes. Besides, Guido was also a rotational player at the triumphant 2022 World Cup. He played 90 minutes for Argentina in the 2022 Finalissima against Italy: 5/6 duels won, 4 tackles & 0 times dribbled past. Argentina won that match 3-0 and, by the way, the guy was the best among Albiceleste midfielders. In other words, Rodriguez reached the top level in his national team and was even able to show his worth there!
Of course, there's still a risk of Guido not being able to withstand the “pressure of a big club” since he hasn't had any challenges of this magnitude in his career: River Plate, Club Tijuana, America and Betis. But, you must admit that compared to Romeu, and taking into account the success of Barcelona's newcomer in the national team, his chances of doing well there are quite high.