As ever with the transfer window, names get bandied about and linked with clubs on a regular, often spurious, basis. The latest link to pop up is the one between Leeds United and Spanish striker Rodri.
To give him his full Sunday name it is Rodrigo Ríos Lozano and he’s a free agent after leaving La Liga 2 side Córdoba CF. However, this is not a lazy link drawing on the striker’s playing background and the fact that Leeds United have a definite Spanish influence going on at the moment.
The link between Leeds United and striker Rodri is well documented and has provenance from the Spanish press, with many media outlets commenting on it. However, it is not as straight-forward as United simply opening up their cheque book and bringing the player to England. What this deal relies on is the supposedly signed club link-up between Leeds United and Spanish second-tier side Cultural Leonesa.
Spanish sport daily AS have more than said this mentioning that: “Relations entered into between Aspire Academy, Leeds United and Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa have been instrumental to Rodri become the leonine team player.”
Spanish media site Cadena Ser develop this a little further saying that Rodri’s signing for Cultural is a bit more out of the ordinary than usual, linking very closely to the hook-up between Leeds and the Cultural Leonesa. They state that: “Leeds United have the player’s rights and granted them to Cultural.”
Rodri started his career at Sevilla, where he would be known to Leeds United’s Technical Director Victor Orta. Orta started out at the club in the scouting department under the tutelage of the legendary Monchi. A move to Barcelona came about at the start of August 2011, with the striker experiencing a half-season loan with Sheffield Wednesday from August 2012 – January 2013.
He left Barcelona at the end of August 2014,after further loan spells at Real Zaragoza and UD Almeria, moving to German side 1860 Munich. Before joining Córdoba at the end of July 2016, Rodri had a season-long loan deal back to Spain with Real Valladolid.
The thinking is in some quarters that Leeds United could be using Cultural as a ‘wait-n-see’ on this transfer in that they are giving Rodri an environment that he is used to and seeing how he performs next season. Should he perform well, the hook-up between Cultural and Leeds might then come in to play with the Whites bringing him over to Elland Road.
