Leeds United Opinion: Jese Rodriguez could fire the Whites to promotion next term
According to The Sun, Leeds United are weighing up an audacious swoop on Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain for out-of-favour attacker Jese Rodriguez ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Sun also understands that manager Marcelo Bielsa is keen to bring in a marquee signing at Elland Road this summer, as the Argentine looks to build a strong enough squad to propel the Yorkshire giants into the Premier League.
The same source claims that PSG are likely to cash in on the 26-year-old this summer and Leeds are currently leading the race to sign the Spaniard, who has been somewhat of a forgotten figure in European football since his departure from Real Madrid back in 2016.
Rodriguez was considered as one of the brightest young prospects in the La Liga when he broke into the scene with Real Madrid in 2011. The Spaniard struggled for regular minutes at the Bernabeu due to the presence of several international stalwarts but he still managed to establish himself as a key squad player for the Los Blancos.
The talented winger lifted the La Liga crown in his debut season at the senior level and featured in the squads that won the 2013-14 and 2015-16 UEFA Champions League titles before switching boats to join PSG in the summer of 2016.
The 26-year-old left Madrid with a promising record, having accumulated 18 goals and 15 assists in 94 appearances across all competitions, but things didn’t quite go according to the script for him at the French capital.
Jese struggled for regular minutes and found himself below the likes of Mbappe, Neymar and Cavani in the pecking order, so much so that he was loaned out to La Liga outfit Las Palmas after starting just a solitary league game in the first half of the 2016-17 season.
The Spaniard endured an ill-fated loan spell at Stoke City in the 2017-18 Premier League before spending another mediocre spell at Real Betis this past season, where he netted just twice in 14 La Liga outings. Jese’s career has been in a downward spiral ever since his move to PSG a couple of years back and it is quite clear that the Spaniard doesn’t have a future at the French capital.
To put things into perspective, Jese Rodriguez’s stocks might have dwindled considerably over the last two or three seasons but he remains an immensely talented player and a move away from Ligue 1, preferably to a less competitive league, should help him rediscover his mojo as a versatile attacker.
To be more precise, Leeds United could strike gold if they manage to beat off competition for the former Real Madrid ace this summer, and few would dare to argue that the acquisition of the former Spanish U-21 international would be a massive statement of intent from Marcelo Bielsa.
The Whites fell agonisingly short in their pursuit of promotion this time around but they need to put all the heartbreak and the disappointment behind themselves and start once again from the scratch in a bid to end their long exile from the top flight.
A technically-gifted and tactically-versatile right-footed creative ace, Jese is adept at playing out wide on either flank and through the centre in a No.10 role as the supporting striker. Predominantly a centre-forward by trade, the Spaniard has also been used as a false 9, owing to his brilliant technical abilities and high levels of tactical intelligence, whilst his pace, dribbling skills, acceleration and ability to cut inside from the flanks have often prompted managers to deploy him as an inverted winger.
The Spaniard not only has a good eye for picking out key passes in the final third but he is also more than capable of setting up goals with his accurate crossing and subtle movement off the ball. Capable of dribbling at pace with both feet, the 26-year-old never shies away from calling the goalkeeper into action with powerful shots from range.
Leeds were the only team in the top four in the Championship this term to not have a striker who scored 20 or more goals, with Kemar Roofe topping the scoring charts at Elland Road with 15. Pablo Hernandez had a wonderful run this season and chipped in with several valuable goals and assists but the Whites need more depth and quality in their attacking ranks if they are to post a better challenge for promotion next season.
The likes of Tyler Roberts and Patrick Bamford just didn’t do enough, whilst Jack Clarke is still too young to rely upon week-in-week-out. Leeds need someone to take the pressure off Roofe’s shoulders and Jese Rodriguez perfectly fits the bill.
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It is beyond doubt that the Spaniard is a wonderful player and the Whites might find themselves in a strong position in the promotion race next season should the former Madrid star manage to get his faltering career back on track at Elland Road.
