Premier League giants Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are among a list of several top-flight English clubs interested in Swansea defender Joe Rodon.
Wales Online have reported of Joe Rodon’s rise, stating that there are a number of suitors for the Swansea City defender. The Welsh star is on the radar of almost every top Premier League club, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and more interested in the player.
The report claims that Joe Rodon has been linked to Manchester City due to his playing style mirroring that of English international John Stones. Pep Guardiola has been looking to strengthen the defensive numbers at Etihad and could use Rodon as a rotation option, with Stones reportedly on the chopping block.
#mufc are looking closely at Swansea and Wales CB Joe Rodon. The 22-year-old would be available for £20m. [WalesOnline] pic.twitter.com/uFCp8OLuPu
— RedReveal (@RedReveal) April 8, 2020
For Manchester United, it is a case of replicating the success they have had with Daniel James. The player, brought in from Swansea City, has been a real revelation and one of the key members of the first-team setup much to the surprise of many.
Joe Rodon has been a steady member of the first-team setup at Swansea for two seasons now. In fact, Rodon has played every Championship game for Swansea this season, not counting the games he missed due to an ankle injury mid-season.
The 22-year-old is hailed as a modern defender with the robustness of an old school defender that makes it difficult for attackers to outmuscle them. Hence, the interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City makes sense.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has proceeded with a progressive setup, with ball-playing defenders a crucial part of the new footballing philosophy at Manchester United. Harry Maguire has been an immense addition and while Victor Lindelof is good technically, the Swede has been far from a real humdinger when it comes to one-on-one battles.
Manchester City are already planning a defensive overhaul after a season that has been termed as a disaster by many, despite Pep Guardiola’s men winning the Carabao Cup and in contention to win the Champions League and FA Cup as well.
Joe Rodon highlights 19/20, never seen him play, know nothing about him. For those who watch the Championship, how good is he?pic.twitter.com/t67EJ0nANR
— FergieTime™️ (@SSIIIIUUUUU) April 9, 2020
Guardiola is looking to beef up the options at centre-back, which has been one of the problem positions at Manchester City.
Arsenal and Chelsea have both had their fair share of problems at the back. The Gunners have budgetary restrictions to look towards as well while planning, which makes Rodon an ideal summer target. Frank Lampard. on the other hand, seems to be building a youthful lineup and might want to partner Fikayo Tomori up with Rodon at Chelsea.
Rodon will reportedly command a fee around the £20 million mark, which is similar to what Swansea raked in for Daniel James from Manchester United. An affordable price tag for a player who looks like a complete defender on the field is a real steal and it will be interesting to see which club in the Premier League manages to get a deal across the line.
