Arsenal remain interested in a deal for Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez but will have to up their reported €30m bid to make it happen.
That’s according to Estadio Deportivo, who say that initial offer could ‘lead to an interesting escalation’ in talks between the two clubs.
Estadio explain that Arsenal have ‘taken notice’ of Rodriguez’s development this season and his recent impressive displays at the Copa America.
He has continued an upward trend at the summer tournament, becoming a permanent fixture for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina.
He is now a more complete midfielder than he was previously, and that has not gone unnoticed by Arsenal, who have been linked for the past few months.
Real Betis are not keen to lose a key player and have pointed to his €80m release clause for a sale, although it is known at the club that any sale would be a ‘perfect solution’ for them economically.
The midfielder has given his approval to staying for another year as he would like to play for either Barcelona or Real Madrid but, the ‘siren songs’ from the Premier League could be ‘impossible to refuse’.
At the minute, it is Arsenal who are at the front of the queue, and reports in England have stated that they made an initial offer of €30m.
Estadio say that if it happened, it would be ‘insufficient’ for Betis at this moment in time.
What it could do, though, is act as a ‘first contact’ between the two clubs and lead to an ‘interesting escalation’ that culminates in a move happening.
Betis don’t want that to happen and would prefer to sell other players first, but any serious offer from Arsenal could prove to be an ‘interesting’ and ‘unwanted temptation’.