Liverpool
Liverpool put forward proposal to sign £25.6m South American star
Liverpool have put forward a proposal to sign Guido Rodriguez that would see Joel Matip and Divock Origi head to Real Betis as part of the deal
Liverpool have put forward a proposal to sign Guido Rodriguez that would see Joel Matip and Divock Origi head to Real Betis as part of the deal, according to reports.
Jurgen Klopp is in the market for a new midfielder after seeing Gini Wijnaldum join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract and Rodriguez has been touted as a potential target.
Spanish outlet La Razon reported on Sunday that Liverpool are showing a keen interest in signing the South American and Betis are prepared to sell if £25.6m [€30m] is put on the table – which is well below his £68m [€80m] release clause.
The La Liga club needs to raise money this summer and it appears they’re willing to cash-in on Rodriguez to turn a healthy profit on the £2.5m [€3m] they paid Club America for 75% of his rights just 18 months ago.
However, despite the discounted asking price, it looks like Liverpool are still trying to find way to reduce their financial outlay as other reports in Spain suggest they’ve put forward a player-exchange proposal to Betis.
According to Gol Digital, Liverpool have submitted their opening proposal by offering Real Betis both Cameroonian centre-back Joel Matip and Belgian attacker Divock Origi in exchange for Rodriguez.
The report says Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini is a fan of both players so may be open to the idea of taking them as part of any deal for Rodriguez this summer – although the deal could be complicated due to Matip and Origi’s wage demands.
Matip has fallen further down the pecking order at Anfield following the arrival of Ibrahima Konate this summer while Origi has struggled to establish himself as a regular ahead of the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Therefore, it makes sense for Liverpool to try and use them as bait to land Rodriguez and the 27-year-old would be an excellent addition to Klopp’s squad if they could get a deal agreed for his services.
Rodriguez was a key player for Betis last season while he’s also now a regular in the Argentina national team squad. His all-action displays and willingness to press the opposition would suit Klopp’s style of play so he should fit in well if he ends up joining Liverpool this summer.
