Arsenal plan on adding to their early transfer haul with the addition of another young established Swiss international, Wolfsburg’s 23-year old left Ricardo Rodriguez.
According to Kicker, Arsenal’s academy chief Andries Jonker has been recommending Rodriguez to Arsene Wenger. Jonker was previously Wolfsburg’s assistant manager from 2012-2014 prior to joining Arsenal, and worked with Rodriguez during that time.
According to the Daily Star, Rodriguez has a £19 million release clause in his contract that Arsenal could be willing to trigger.
Arsenal are in the market for a left back and have already been linked with Lorient’s Raphael Guerreiro, Celtic’s Kieran Tierney, and Leicester’s Ben Chilwell this summer.
Kieran Gibbs struggled to get a run in the starting eleven this past season, and the Arsenal academy product will likely be granted a move that facilitates more first-team opportunities. Nacho Monreal had a stellar year, but will turn 31 this upcoming season and the club does not have a young backup waiting in the wings.
Rodriguez would provide good competition to Monreal, and push him for a starting spot in the team, with the ability to contribute right away. While Rodriguez’s youth means that biding his time on the bench is a viable option, the reality is that he would likely push Monreal out of the lineup within a season.
It remains to be seen how genuine Arsenal’s interest in Rodriguez is, but he is certainly the most impressive left back that the club has been linked to. This potential signing makes sense and would be another positive in what has so far been a good start to the Gunners’ offseason.
