European qualification crucial for Real Betis in last-ditch effort to convince key player to stay

A run of four successive defeats currently sees Real Betis lag behind in the race for continental qualification. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are eighth, seven points behind Real Sociedad in sixth, the final European place – for now. If Athletic Club win the Copa del Rey final against Mallorca on Saturday, seventh would be the Europa Conference League spot.

Betis trail Valencia by two points for that seventh place, and overturning that deficit could be the difference between keeping Guido Rodriguez staying on at the Benito Villamarin. The Argentine pivot has been strong linked with a departure in the summer when his contract expires, but Los Verdiblancos aren’t giving up their hopes of retaining his services.

As per Diario AS, Betis are prepared a last-ditch effort to keep Rodriguez, who has attracted interest from Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan over the last few months. Club officials believe that securing a place in Europe for next season could be significant in convincing the World Cup winner to stay put.

It will be interesting to see how Rodriguez’s situation plays out over the coming months. You can totally understand Real Betis’ efforts to keep him, and on-field performances could certainly be key in contract negotiations.