According to reports, Pep Guardiola is keen for Manchester City to sign Liverpool Montevideo’s Uruguayan winger Luciano Rodriguez.
Before going across Montevideo to join city rivals Liverpool at the start of 2023, the 20-year-old started his career with Progreso, where he made his professional debut at the age of 17.
Since then, Rodriguez has grown into a mainstay in Liverpool’s first team, making 44 appearances in all competitions while tallying 14 goals and dishing out six assists.
With nine goals and six assists in his first season with Liverpool, the winger helped the Uruguayan team win their first-ever top-flight title.
Since then, Rodriguez has had a successful start to 2024, scoring four goals in eight games, including his first goal in the Copa Libertadores last week.
In March, Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa gave Rodriguez his senior international debut.
Man City manager has advised the team to sign Rodriguez
Guardiola has reportedly instructed Man City to intensify Rodriguez’s pursuit ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Fichajes.
Rodriguez is reportedly one of the Citizens’ top transfer targets, despite competition from Feyenoord, the dominant team in the Eredivisie.
It is said that many elite teams, notably Man City and Feyenoord, have expressed interest in the highly-rated winger due to his quick ascend to both club and international prominence.
Man City have a rich history of South American players
South American football players have played for Man City for many years; among those who have left their mark on the team’s history are Ederson, Carlos Tevez, Fernandinho, Sergio Aguero, and Pablo Zabaleta.
The Citizens have recently made inroads into the Argentine market; most notably, in 2022, they were able to entice Julian Alvarez away from River Plate.
Since then, the forward has established himself as a mainstay in Guardiola’s first team and helped Argentina win the World Cup.
Claudio Echeverri, an 18-year-old player from River Plate who is highly regarded, has already agreed to join Man City. He will arrive at the Etihad Stadium this summer.