
‘Really didn’t see this coming’ – Some Leeds fans react to Phil Hay update on Rodrigo & Watkins
Leeds United fans have been waiting patiently for news of a first-team signing and it seems they might not have to wait that much longer.
On Tuesday morning, Spanish outlet AS reported that Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta are in Valencia negotiating a deal for striker Rodrigo.
The fee being talked about for the current Spain international is £35.8m.
BBC journalist Adam Pope picked up on the story and said that his contact in Spain had told him that Valencia are in “meltdown” and have to sell.
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth said the “interest is obviously real” and said, “Can see why it would be an exciting one”.
He went on to say that he’d probably prefer Brentford’s Ollie Watkins, who would cost less.
It seems that Watkins is still an option for Leeds.
Atheltic journalist Phil Hay posted an update on Tuesday morning that said, “Leeds’ interest in Rodrigo at Valencia is clearly mounting. Victor Orta speaking to his representatives and Valencia intend to sell him in this window. Depends on other interest too (talk that Atletico fancy him). Watkins at Brentford still an alternative option.”
It might be too much to hope that Leeds go for both of them but with all three main Leeds-based journalists talking about Rodrigo, it does seem like a deal for the 29-year-old could be close.
There are plenty of Leeds fans who are very excited about this – and he’d be a signing that would show the rarer air that Leeds are inhabiting since promotion.
However, there are other fans who would, like Smyth, prefer to see Watkins sign instead. He’s younger and is a proven goal-scorer in the Championship if not the Premier League.
He wouldn’t cost £35.8m either.
Phil Hay is not in that camp, though. He posted another tweet to say, “No offence to Watkins, who I think would be a good signing, but Rodrigo is on a different level”.
We agree and think he’s a player who could really thrive under the Bielsa system. We’re greedy though. We’d like both and we don’t see Rodrigo as the out-and-out striker that Leeds need.
Here are the best reactions to the double update from Hay from Leeds fans…
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