River Plate reportedly want to help Arsenal to sign Guido Rodriguez from Real Betis this summer but why would they want to do that?
Coming from Argentina, via Spain and Google translate, Arsenal’s interest in Guido Rodriguez seems like it could be very real. If it’s not, there’s a writer somewhere who needs a gold star for the effort they have put into coming up with the details surrounding the whole thing.
Guido Rodriguez has been linked with an Arsenal move since March, when it was claimed we were one of three clubs interested the midfielder.
With an €80m-release clause in his contract, and no real desire to force a move this summer, it always looked like a story that wasn’t going to go anywhere unless Real Betis reduced their asking price significantly.
The Spanish side are said to have realised that €80m is a lot. In a bid to bring funds into a club that is in a ‘delicate’ position financially, they are willing to sell him for ‘just’ €50m.
Betis don’t want to drop his fee too much because, despite only costing them £2.7m in January 2020, they have to pay 25% to his former club, the Mexican side, America. The initial deal also included €4m in ‘variables’ – performance-related add-ons.
In addition, River Plate, the club Guido began his career with, will get 5% of any sell-on fee. That equals €2.5m on a €50m deal.
A €50m deal would see the side from Buenos Aires pocket €2.5m in training rights, an amount they are apparently ‘rubbing their hands’ about according to a report from Argentina.
As a result, they will ‘team up’ with Arsenal to help the deal go through.
