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Scouting Arsenal Transfer Target Ricardo Rodriguez
- Updated: June 4, 2016
There’s a Swiss revolution underway at Arsenal. After pursuing a German recruitment drive that included the likes of Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski, Arsene Wenger appears to have turned his attention to Switzerland.
In January, Egyptian international Mohamed Elneny was signed from Swiss side Basel. He was followed by another former Basel man in Granit Xhaka. Now a third player with a background in Switzerland could be added in the space of six months: full-back Ricardo Rodriguez.
Perhaps Wenger’s focus hasn’t shifted that dramatically. Like Xhaka, Rodriguez has been plying his trade in Germany’s Bundesliga. His performances for Wolfsburg have made him one of the most prized left-backs in Europe, and now he appears to have caught Arsenal’s attention.
In an interview with Swiss newspaper Tagesanzieger (h/t Jon Harvey of Metro), Rodriguez has hinted at the possibility of following Xhaka to the Emirates Stadium.
There could well be a need for a new left-back in north London. Kieran Gibbs barely figured last season, starting just three Premier League matches in the entire campaign. He may now look to move to revive his international ambitions—Peter O’Rourke of ESPN has reported that a “frustrated” Gibbs could force through a move away from the club where he was reared this summer.
That has led Arsenal to Rodriguez. According to reports in German magazine Kicker (h/t James Cambridge in the Express), the Gunners are leading the chase for his signature. The report stated that Wenger is willing to meet the £19million release clause for a player who comes highly recommended by Arsenal’s academy head Andries Jonker.
Jonker should know Rodriguez’s qualities well enough—he was the assistant coach at Wolfsburg until 2014 and retains close links with his former club.
Like Xhaka, Rodriguez represents Switzerland but has a mixed heritage. Although born in the country he plays for, his father and agent is Spanish and his mother is Chilean. He began his career in his homeland with FC Zurich, joining the club’s academy setup as an 11-year old. By 16, he was training regularly with the first team.
Rodriguez’s name first began to be heard on the lips of Europe’s scouts when he was part of the Swiss national side …
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