Phil Hay: This is what the Leeds United players think of Rodrigo signing
Leeds United announced their club-record signing on Saturday morning, as Rodrigo was officially announced by the club.
The huge news was confirmed by Leeds United on their Twitter page at 9am.
They confirmed that he had been signed for a club-record fee in a four-year deal that will see him at Elland Road until 2024.
The news has thrilled Leeds fans but they’re not the only ones blown away by the news.
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay put a lot of meat on the bones of the Rodrigo signing in an article on Saturday morning, and he said that the Leeds players were “astonished” by the deal.
“Other Spaniards at Leeds, like Pablo Hernandez and Kiko Casilla, saw the purchase of Rodrigo as improbable.
“The squad were astonished on Tuesday night after word reached them that a deal for Spain’s No 9 was in place.
“A couple of players sent messages to Orta, congratulating him on the outcome.”
Rodrigo is a big deal
If there are any Leeds fans who aren’t blown away by the Rodrigo signing, then this should show how big a deal it is.
This is a player who was being linked with a £50m move to Atletico Madrid last year and it seems the Coronavirus outbreak has in part facilitated the Leeds move.
Valencia had to sell after failing to qualify for Europe and being hit by the pandemic.
Reacting live on talkSPORT (Saturday, 9am), Alex Crook called the signing an “astute bit of business” for Leeds.
He said, “It is a done deal, it’s also a club-record signing. When you think they’re also the cusp of signing Robin Koch from Freiburg, that’s £40m worth of signings.
Rodrigo looks like an astute piece of business, he can play on the wide or through the centre.”
Rodrigo’s versatility is a big bonus and it will be fascinating to see where Marcelo Bielsa plays him. And whether he will play any part in the first Premier League game against Liverpool.
They’re much better questions to dwell on rather than “Will he actually sign?”
And it seems the Leeds players are absolutely delighted with their new superstar signing.
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