Aston Villa open talks for 19-year-old La Liga wonderkid
Real Betis enjoyed a brilliant second half of the season, resulting in an historic run to the Conference League final against Chelsea. However Los Verdiblancos are in danger of losing two the instigators of that excellent form.
One of those is a case of seduction, as Betis hope to bring back Brazilian winger Antony, who played a starring role in the final months for Betis. In that instance, Betis must hope that nobody comes in with an acceptable offer for Manchester United, and they can bring him back on loan.
Jesus Rodriguez future in doubt
The other concern is potentially losing one of their rough diamonds in winger Jesus Rodriguez. Bursting onto the scene at the age of just 19, his direct running and pace were important for Manuel Pellegrini on the left flank.
The concern is that the Premier League may come calling. Rodriguez has already had his contract extended until 2029. He has a release clause of €50m, and Fabrizio Romano reports that Villa have opened talks with Betis over a potential deal.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool scout Rodriguez
Earlier in the season it was reported that Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool had all sent scouts to watch the teenage winger at the Benito Villamarin, and it does not seem to be ruled out that Los Verdiblancos could cash in on him. In recent weeks Rodriguez revealed on television that his agent was speaking to clubs, even if he was happy at Betis, and they would assess any offers that arrived.
Image viaBetis sold another teenage academy product in Assane Diao to Como in January, after a similarly promising opening six months to his professional career. That said, his value dropped after losing his spot in the line-up, and Betis may feel they are best off selling while his value is high.
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