Guido Rodriguez close to Barca move

According to self-proclaimed football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are closing on their first signing of the summer transfer window in Guido Rodriguez.

It has been reported that the Argentinian international midfielder has already reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez ahead of a move this summer.

The 30-year-old Buenos Aires-born midfielder is currently playing for Real Betis in La Liga but is out of contract next month and is expected to sign for Barca on a free transfer.

Romano, though, has reported that any deal remains subject to Financial Fair Play approval with formal contracts yet to be signed ahead of the move. If it does go through, as remains expected, he will join on a three-year deal until the summer of 2027.

Guido Rodriguez came through the academy at River Plate in his home city with a loan spell at Defensa y Justicia before moving to Liga MX and signing for Tijuana. After a year or so at Tijuana, he moved to America and stayed there until 2020. In the summer of 2020, he joined Betis and has played 166 times for the Andalusians with nine goals.  

Throughout his career, he has won the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Copa del Rey as well as the Liga MX Apertura and Copa MX Clausura. Internationally, he has been capped 29 times for Argentina and was a part of the squad that won the 2021 CONMEBOL Copa America as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.