One player who was linked to Wolves in 2023 is set to become a free agent this summer.
Gary O’Neil is on the hunt for much-needed reinforcements at Wolves this summer, as the manager aims to kick on from last season.
The Old Gold secured a 14th-place finish, a result that could have been far better if O’Neil had adequate depth within his squad.
Now that the summer transfer window is upon us, the Wolves boss has already started his work on acquiring fresh talent, with one former target’s future now made clear.
Former Wolves target Guido Rodriguez will be a free agent this summer
In July 2023, it was reported that Wolves were in talks to sign Guido Rodriguez, who instead remained at Real Betis.
The World Cup winner has been at Betis since 2020 however, it has now been confirmed that he will leave the club in the summer at the expiration of his contract.
As relayed by Marca, Rodriguez has ‘not accepted’ a new contract at Betis, and as a result will depart on June 30th as a free agent.
At the time of Wolves’ interest, Estadio Deportivo credited the Argentine as having a €20m (£17m) price tag, a price that will be wiped this summer.
The question is now whether Wolves are still interested in signing the midfielder, who will be on the hunt for a new club ahead of 2024/25.
What Rodriguez could offer to Gary O’Neil’s squad
Once described as a ‘defensive monster’ by analyst Marcus Bring, Rodriguez is just that, as the 30-year-old ranked in the top 4% of midfielders who tackled dribblers in La Liga last season, via FBref.
The 30-year-old is best deployed in central midfield as a barrier of protection ahead of the back line, similar to Joao Gomes’ current role at Wolves.
With Mario Lemina, Gomes and Boubacar Traore currently at the club, signing Rodriguez at this moment would add to depth and naturally induce further competition.
Added to that, the midfielder has 173 Real Betis appearances to his name, as well as being a World Cup winner with Argentina, sporting 29 international caps.
Experience is critical for O’Neil to integrate to his Wolves side, as echoed by club legend Steve Bull, who called on the boss to add ‘some older heads’ to the squad.
It will be interesting to see if O’Neil has a similar likening to Rodriguez as Julen Lopetegui did, with the defensive midfielder now available for zero cost.