Signing the new Sergio Busquets for €20million might be seen as a bit of a coup for Atletico Madrid.
But it’s not as much of a coup when you take into account Atletico allowed the player in question leave their academy for absolutely nothing four years ago.
Los Rojiblancos have agreed to sign 21-year-old midfielder Rodri from Villarreal in the summer of 2018.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiver
Rodri was a part of Atletico’s academy between 2007 and 2013 but was released due to an apparent ‘lack of strength’.
He was picked up by Villarreal, making his first-team debut in December 2015, and has since gone on to establish himself as a key player for El Submarino Amarillo.
The youngster was also a part of Spain’s Under-19 European Championship winning squad in 2015, alongside Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos.
Rodri, who has made the most recoveries in La Liga, has started every game for Villarreal this season, helping the club climb to sixth in the table.
He’s yet to be capped for the full Spanish national side but has made six appearances for the Under-21s.
As if Spain need any more ludicrously talented midfielders heading into the 2018 World Cup.
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players to win 10k!
READ MORE:
- What was Antoine Griezmann thinking about when he tweeted this?
- We need to talk about Ederson’s passing ability
- The longest unbeaten run in British history has come to an end