One of the less successful pieces of transfer business of last summer is set to be reversed when the Premier League 2025 season concludes: It is rare for both club and player to be in accord on an exit from London Stadium after less than twelve months but in this case West Ham, the player and his new club will all see it as a satisfactory outcome. From a Hammers’ fans perspective, the more exciting part of this will be seeing Freddie Potts (main pic) – currently out on a season long loan at Portsmouth – step up to fill the departing player’s boots at London Stadium!
West Ham maintained that although midfielder Guido Rodriguez was signed last summer on a ‘free’ transfer, the Hammers did make a significant player signing – on fee payment, so whilst clubs wanted to take him on a ‘free’ transfer in the winter window just gone, West Ham would not let him leave for ‘free’ and wanted to recoup their costs.
It does look as though that approach has been vindicated, with Spanish site orgullobiri reporting that talks are already advanced for a summer transfer between The Hammers and Real Betis who have ‘set their sights’ on Rodriguez returning to the club he left:
Real Betis has set its sights on Guido Rodríguez, the Argentine midfielder of West Ham United, to strengthen his midfield.” the report reads.Happier times ahead for Guido Rodriguez
“Betis has started talks with West Ham to finalize their return.
As reported, the price of the signing would be set at about 3 million euros, an amount similar to what the English club paid for him at the time.”
Rodriguez will be relieved – he was quoted as realising early in the Autumn that he’d made a mistake coming to the Premier League and a sale for €3 million will recoup West Ham’s outlay last August when Lopetegui brought the Argentine World Cup winner to East London. We hope common sense prevails and the deal is concluded swiftly, sending Rodriguez back where he wants to be. Rodrigues departing and Freddie Potts returning. Just proves the old proverb ‘everything comes to he who waits’.
