Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 long years. Marcelo Bielsa’s at the wheel. Fans are waiting and intentions are clear. A top half finish doesn’t seem a very unrealistic target considering what the other promoted sides in the last few years have achieved.
Leeds have been in a desperate search for personnel of Premier League quality lately. The Whites may just have found their perfect striker in Rodrigo. Today, the Valencia striker was announced as a new Leeds United player. Not only that, but this move also made him the club’s most expensive signing, at £27 million.
With Patrick Bamford being the first-team striker last season, the departure of loanee Eddie Nketiah back to his parent club Arsenal meant that the former was the only realistic option up-front for the Championship-winning club. Rodrigo would give Bielsa a healthy selection headache for sure.
Rodrigo in Comparison With the Current Leeds United Forwards
More Than a Traditional Striker
Patrick Bamford scored 16 goals and provided two assists in 45 appearances last season. Though this is a wonderful achievement by the 26-year-old, he has been heavily criticised for his lack of impact on the field.
With almost half the number of appearances for Valencia, Rodrigo was a terror in the final third last season. He provided seven assists for his team-mates last season, five more than Bamford. The Spanish striker actually topples his new team-mate in every possible offensive statistic from last season.
Rodrigo averaged one key pass every 90 minutes, compared to Bamford’s figure of 0.5. The Spaniard even made 0.8 dribbles per game against Bamford’s 0.3 dribbles every 90 minutes. This is a massive revelation of how the new striker is more of a flexible, free-moving forward rather than the existing option who is more of a target-man and poacher.
Rodrigo guarantees goals in addition to making his team-mates look better.
Big Defensive Contribution in the Attacking Third
It is no secret that Marcelo Bielsa likes to play a high-intensity game with plenty of pressing in the opposition half. This makes Rodrigo even suitable for Leeds United.
The 29-year-old made 21 tackles and interceptions in his 27 games for Valencia last season. Considering he started only 23 of those games, and was substituted early in the second half many times, this gives Rodrigo an average of one tackle or interception every 90 minutes.
This might not seem like the world’s best figures. But when compared to Bamford’s statistics, the Spaniard’s numbers might make more sense. Bamford averaged 0.5 tackles and interceptions every 90 minutes last season.
With Bielsa’s idea of attacking every ball like it’s the player’s last game, Rodrigo might prove to be a gem in the final third.
Bielsa is a manager who is very loyal to his players. If a player can replicate his ideas on the pitch, the Argentine guarantees him a first-team role. Considering that, it seems unlikely that he will discard Bamford upon Rodrigo’s arrival.
Nevertheless, if Bielsa can find a perfect mix to accommodate both the players’ needs, the Premier League could add Rodrigo and Bamford their list of a deadly attacking duos.
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