The Catalan club has used this strategy well over the past few years thanks to the additions of players like Andreas Christensen and Ilkay Gundogan, among others. Barcelona may specifically want to sign another pivot on the free agency market because head coach Xavi Hernandez may want another alternative in addition to Oriol Romeu. Guido Rodriguez of Real Betis is likely to be towards the top of their selection if this is the case.
At Betis, Rodriguez's current contract is up at the end of the current campaign, and he has not yet reached an extension agreement. On the podcast La Capitana (via MD), which is hosted by Sandra de la Vega, the spouse of Andres Guardado's Betis teammate, he recently mentioned the circumstance. "We are monitoring what occurs. It's a challenging choice. We have a nice group here (at Betis), a good spot in the squad, and a wonderful way of life.