Arsenal in final stage to seal deal for €64 million partner for Thomas Partey
Arsenal are reportedly leading the transfer race to sign Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez.
The Argentine international made 38 appearances in all competitions last term and picked up interest from several Premier League giants.
According to reports, Mikel Arteta is eager to add the midfielder to his ranks and has started negotiations with Betis over a potential fee for the South American.
Rodriguez – who scored against Uruguay in the Copa America tournament on Saturday – has a release clause of £69million included in his Betis contract.
This could be regarded as a stumbling block for The Gunners given the financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, Arsenal have started their bidding at around £25.7m and hope to strike a deal with Betis in the near future – according to MARCA.
Rodriguez, who was born in the town of Saenz Pena on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, started his football journey with Argentine giants River Plate as a youngster.
But after finding game time hard to come by and going out on loan to Defensa y Justicia to try and change that, Rodriguez opted for pastures new and joined Mexican outfit Club Tijuana in 2016 before signing for Club America a year later.
It was a bold move for Rodriguez to leave his country of birth in search for regular football, but it paid off as he was named Mexican Player of the Year in 2019 as Club America lifted the title.
His impressive displays in the heart of midfield quickly caught the attention of Real Betis, who ended up signing him for just £2.7m in January 2020.
