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Barcelona signing this 26-year-old Serie A star would add some much-needed depth in a key position on the pitch

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Barcelona opinion: Should Barca sign Ricardo Rodriguez?

According to a report from Sport, Barcelona are eyeing a move for AC Milan’s Ricardo Rodriguez as Ernesto Valverde is keen on bringing a left-back to Nou Camp next season. 

The Swiss international is transferrable at a cost of around €15m if Theo Hernandez opts to move to San Siro.

Rodriguez – a quality full-back

The 26-year-old has been successful for the Serie A giants since joining them in 2017.

He has been a regular for the past two seasons, playing 88 games with a goal and assist tally of 10. Prior to his move to Italy, Rodiguez was highly rated during his five-year spell with VFL Wolfsburg.

His notable moments with the Bundesliga outfit were winning the DFB Pokal trophy and DFB Supercup in 2015. A youth product of Zurich, Rodriguez has represented Switzerland at various age levels and has earned 64 caps for the senior team until now.

Ricardo Rodriguez
Ricardo Rodriguez

Is Rodriguez a worthy successor of Jordi Alba?

Jordi Alba has established himself as one of the best left-backs of his generation and finding a player who could replicate the same amount of success as the Spaniard is quite difficult. 

Yet, Rodriguez can be a great second choice for the Catalan club. The Swiss ace is a player with more defensive inclination but he doesn’t shy away from getting into the attacking third as he has the versatility to play as left-midfielder as well.

Rodriguez held a pass success percentage of 85 in Serie A last season and his defensive stats (2.4 clearances per game and 1.6 blocks) are much healthier than his attacking numbers given that he can play as a centre-back too. (Stats courtesy: Who Scored)

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Verdict

The Catalans have to reduce the workload of Alba and Rodriguez looks like a very convenient option given his versatility and plethora of experience in European Football.