According to Spanish outlet La Razon, Arsenal still intend to sign Real Betis star Guido Rodriguez this summer.

Mundo Deportivo broke the news about the Gunners’ interest in the Argentine international about two Months Ago. It was claimed that Mikel Arteta and Edu were big fans of the midfielder, who has been brilliant for Betis over the last 18 months.

Rodriguez has a mammoth £69 million release clause inserted in his contract. That is a lot of money for someone who only started playing in Europe in 2020, but it was reported two months ago that Betis would hold out for that huge fee no matter what. (Estadio Deportivo)

That would’ve made it almost impossible for Arsenal to sign Rodriguez, but thankfully for Arteta and Edu, the Verdiblancos seem to have softened their stance quite considerably now.

Arsenal can now sign Guido Rodriguez for a bargain fee

La Razon have revealed today that Arsenal are still keen to sign Rodriguez in the coming weeks. Betis, who weren’t willing to budge on his release clause a couple of months ago, now want him gone so that they can balance their books.

The report claims that the Andalusians are now demanding just £25.7 million for Rodriguez. That’s less than half of what they wanted two months ago, and that makes him extremely affordable for Arsenal if we really want him.

The Insider’s View:

Arsenal definitely need a new defensive midfielder this summer.

Granit Xhaka is on his way out and although the Swiss international wasn’t exactly a number six, we will need to bring in someone who can efficiently protect our backline as well as progress the ball forward.

Rodriguez is really an interesting option. He is good with the ball at his feet, is positionally disciplined and at 27 years of age, he is at the prime of his career.

However, spending £25.7 million on a player who has very little experience in Europe seems silly when we can get established Premier League stars like Ruben Neves or Yves Bissouma instead for a little more money.

Read more: Report shares the real reason why Arsenal decided against signing Odsonne Edouard

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