Leeds United striker Rodrigo is reportedly set for a surprise move to Qatar side Al-Rayyan.
That is according to journalist Bruno Andrade, who reports Rodrigo is close to making the switch to the Middle East and becoming the first major signing of Leonardo Jardim’s reign.
Jardim is set to officially take charge of Al-Rayyan on July 1 after leaving UAE Pro League side Shabab Al-Ahli, where he lifted the title in his only season at the club.
Rodrigo had appeared to be close to making the move to Sevilla and linking back up with former Leeds sporting director Victor Orta, with reports from Spain indicating a move would go through at the beginning of next month.
The 32-year-old has also had interest from Premier League clubs including Aston Villa and Everton, but it looks as though Qatar will be his next destination.
Rodrigo set for surprise Qatar switch
Rodrigo has just 12 months left to run on his contract at Leeds and has always been one of the players likely to leave this summer after last month’s relegation.
While several of Leeds’ squad are expected to go on loan, Rodrigo’s appears as though he will be moving on permanently and therefore bring in some sort of transfer fee.
After returning to the Spain squad for the Nations League finals this month, Rodrigo had been expected to remain in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
However, he joins a growing list of players making the switch to the Middle East this summer, with Saudi Arabia in particular targeting some of Europe’s elite.
N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema and Ruben Neves are among those who have joined Cristiano Ronaldo during the early stages of the window, with Rodrigo set to become one of the next, all be it in Qatar.
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