One of the biggest surprises in Luis de la Fuente’s squad selection was the inclusion of Jesús Rodríguez, who had made his debut for the Spanish national team just a month prior and remained part of the coach’s plans, reflecting his considerable confidence in the player’s abilities. What’s astonishing is that this player was competing in the Spanish second division (Segunda RFEF) only a year and a half ago and now finds himself on the verge of joining one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Until the middle of the story, his future was shrouded in mystery, but sources confirmed that his impressive performances with his first team, Real Betis, under the management of Manuel Pellegrini, had attracted the attention of major clubs such as Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli, and Borussia Dortmund, with his market value reaching approximately €25 million.
Related topics
Full Details
Barcelona and Real Madrid both expressed serious interest in Jesús, outperforming the other clubs in the race. However, Cesc Fàbregas acted more swiftly, convincing the player to join his ambitious project at Italian club Como, following in the footsteps of Nico Paz and Assane Diao, two prominent figures in Serie A.
Jesús quickly adapted to his new team, scoring two goals and providing two assists in seven matches, earning him a place in De la Fuente’s squad and giving him a strong chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup. Nevertheless, Joan Laporta and Florentino Pérez still consider him a promising talent whom they might try to sign at the end of the season, either for Camp Nou or the Santiago Bernabéu.
Luis de la Fuente advised the player to join Hansi-Dieter Flick’s project at Barcelona, believing he would have more opportunities to develop his game there, but the final decision rests with Jesús after he proves his worth with Como.
