West Ham United signed Guido Rodriguez in the summer, and Julen Lopetegui went on to start the midfielder in each of our first 11 Premier League games.
However, Guido Rodriguez has dropped out of Julen Lopetegui‘s starting lineup for West Ham‘s last two matches.
He is now said to be unhappy at the London Stadium, and is ‘desperate to leave’ the Hammers in January.
The 30-year-old midfielder has also reportedly been in talks about a £2.5 million return to his former club Real Betis.
I can’t see how he gets back into the team when everybody is fit.
So a January exit from the London Stadium would certainly make sense for Rodriguez in my eyes.
Julen Lopetegui, Manager of West Ham United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Everton FC at London Stadium...
Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images
However, Lopetegui is clearly a huge fan of the Argentine, in spite of his obvious faults.
The Hammers head coach has started Guido in all but two of our Premier League games this season after all.
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And now, a new twist could end up being the Spaniard’s death knell at West Ham United.
Guido Rodriguez twist could be the end for Lopetegui at West Ham
The Argentina international arrived at the London Stadium with a really big reputation of being one of the very best defensive midfielders in the world.
However, what made the 30-year-old so good in Spain has failed to translate to England.
He doesn’t have the physical attributes to succeed in the Premier League as far as I’m concerned.
But it seems like as things stand, he will be with us for a while yet.
West Ham United's Guido Rodriguez during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and West Ham United FC at City Ground on November 2,...
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
According to a report from Estadio Deportivo, there is actually no truth to the recent claims suggesting Real Betis have contacted the Hammers about re-signing Rodriguez.
Whilst he is still being tipped for an exit from West Ham, no official talks have been held yet.
So that’s quite the turnaround from recent reports suggesting that his move back to Betis was a foregone conclusion.
The 30-year-old left the La Liga side to join us in the summer, but it’s clear to see already that he’s more suited to Spanish football than he is the Premier League.
Now, if he does end up staying with us, and continues to play, it could well be the end for Lopetegui at the London Stadium.
The Hammers head coach was the man who insisted that we sign Rodriguez in the summer, so the buck very much stops with him.
Guido Rodriguez is quite clearly not suited to the intense speed and physicality of Premier League football, and I’m convinced that he will never succeed with West Ham.
That sounds a bit harsh, but it’s true.
And with that in mind, Lopetegui’s insistence on having him as part of his squad, and regularly starting him, could well be the final nail in his coffin, the coup de grâce if you will.
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