Manchester City are reportedly interested in Oscar Rodriguez, who is currently a part of Real Madrid’s academy, which is managed by club legend Guti.
Spanish publication OK Diario have reported that Manchester City are interested in Real Madrid academy ace Oscar Rodriguez. The player is currently serving as a protege to Guti, who is the youth academy coach for Los Blancos and Guardiola reportedly wants to bring the highly-rated player over to the Etihad.
Born in Toledo, Spain, Oscar Rodriguez is one of the rare gems to emerge from the Real Madrid academy. The player has been with Los Blancos since 2009 and is now a part of the Juvenile A squad, Real Madrid’s under-19 team and has put in quite extraordinary performances.
The 18-year-old has appeared in 15 UEFA Youth League games with 1 goal and 2 assists to his name and his performances, especially in a 3-1 win in 2016 against Manchester City in the aforementioned competition that has caught the attention of the club, in particular their chief Ferran Soriano.
The player is now the captain of the Under-19 team and could soon be set for a step up to the Castilla or even the first-team setup at Santiago Bernabeu, given Zinedine Zidane’s preference to hand young talents a chance.
Manchester City are tracking Real Madrid prospect Óscar Rodríguez. Oscar is an attacking midfielder who plays for Guti’s Juvenil A team. pic.twitter.com/WpzJQUtUVa
— RMadrid Edition (@RMadridEdition) February 1, 2017
Real Madrid’s official website themselves label Oscar Rodriguez as ‘a fierce competitor with a winning mentality’, something which is needed to make it at a club as big as Real Madrid. The website also highlights the player’s technical prowess and on-field leadership instincts.
It also adds that the attacking midfielder also has an eye for goal but can also drop deep to get the ball and in general, has impressive positioning. And as per the report, Guardiola wants the 18-year-old over at the Etihad. The Diario report, however, that Los Blancos have been successful in mitigating the interest for now.
Manchester City have been linked with other Real Madrid players as well, with the latest being Los Blancos number 1 Keylor Navas.
Oscar’s deal, though, is set to expire at the end of the current regular La Liga Santander season, which puts Real Madrid in a precarious position. Los Blancos would hope that they are able to convince Oscar to sign a new deal to extend his stay at Santiago Bernabeu than look for newer pastures.
But, the ability of other clubs to provide a better look-in into the first-team setup might tempt the 18-year-old. The youngster has been hailed as the perfect protege to Guti, who is currently in-charge of the Juvenile A squad for Real Madrid.
And, given Guti’s coveted and celebrated playing career with Real Madrid, Perez is unlikely to leave a player who has been likened to one of the legendary midfielders to grace Santiago Bernabeu, a part of the real Galacticos.
