Ten Hag to renew interest in Man Utd's 'magnificent' target after transfer snub

29 November 2023 , 08:19

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Ten Hag to renew interest in Man Utd's 'magnificent' target after transfer snub

Manchester United will test the resolve of La Liga outfit Real Betis by swooping for star player Guido Rodriguez in January.

Despite a recent upturn in form, the defensive midfield role is one that continues to cause Erik ten Hag headaches. The form of Casemiro has plummeted this season, with the 31-year-old Brazilian also struggling with injury having not featured since coming off at half-time in the League Cup defeat to Newcastle on November 3.

Despite a summer-long pursuit, the loan signing of Sofyan Amrabat has also proved underwhelming. The Fiorentina player was initially deployed as a left-back before failing to shine in midfield, and was as unused substitute in Sunday's win at Everton.

United have previously made approaches for Rodriguez, who joined Betis in 2020 from Mexican club America. And the 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning he is free to talk to other clubs in the New Year and negotiate a pre-contract agreement.

According to Sport Witness though, Ten Hag is keen to exploit the situation by targeting a cut-price deal in the upcoming window. Rodriguez has been on their radar since making it into Argentina's victorious World Cup winning squad in Qatar, while Barcelona have also linked with a move.

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However, Betis sporting director Ramon Planes has implied to Radio MARCA Sevilla that the club have not given up hope of keeping their "magnificent" star. He also confirmed the club had previously turned down bids: “I’ve always said that there are two parts. The one we can influence is doing everything so that Guido can continue at Betis. We did it in the summer, which has a lot of merit in rejecting the offers that were made for him.

Guido Rodriguez helped Argentina win the World Cup

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"It would have been easy to accept them and we didn’t, we continue to give him that affection and that interest, those negotiations are still ongoing. Today he is here, seeing the facilities. He is a magnificent boy, on a human level he is tremendously humble, and I said to him ‘look, you are going to enjoy all this’, and he laughed."

The River Plate youth product is now a cult hero at Betis, having played 145 times for the club and helped them to Copa del Rey glory in 2022. And Planes added that his love for the club means a move away is anything but inevitable.

"One more demonstration that we love him is that he is here today as captain of the team," he said. "And that he sees that the club has a project and we would like him to be there.”

Fraser Watson