La Provincia reports that Rodrigo has already packed his bags in preparation for his impending transfer from Leeds United to Al Rayyan.
The 32-year-old is moving to Qatar, according to the Spanish newspaper, which also claimed that a relocation to Sevilla fell through owing to a “lack of monetary capital” in its print version (13 July, page 46).
But it seems as though Rodrigo’s new residence decision might have an impact on his global career.
The forward had worked his way back into the Spain set-up under Luis de la Fuente.
But La Provincia wrote that the move to Qatar means he has essentially ended his Spain days and will miss out on Euro 2024 in Germany next year.
As soon as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League last season, it seemed clear that Rodrigo would be among the players leaving Elland Road in a mass exodus.
The only real question was where he was going. The Victor Orta link at Sevilla suggested that a return to La Liga was possible, while Everton were looking for a bargain after surviving by the skin of their teeth.
But Rodrigo, who scored 15 goals in all competitions last season, has gone where the money is this transfer window, as have many others.
You can see the logic in certain aspects. He is accepting what will probably be the largest salary of his career at the age of 32. However, you do question if he would have been better off staying in a more challenging league for an additional year and trying to qualify for the European Championship.
Unfortunately, he chose a move to pad his bank account, and as a result, his international career is probably certainly over.
A transfer update on Helder Costa’s future has surfaced in unrelated Leeds United news.
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