Leeds United have seldom spent big since their return to the Premier League, hoping that the various systems employed by their managers would have been enough to extract the very best from their squad.
Although they have recorded some significant outlays, it is far from the regularity with which many of their rivals unload similar fees to stay ahead of them in the league.
The sparsity of this big spending makes it all the more imperative that they get it right when they do. Whilst the jury remains out on many of Jesse Marsch’s signings, it seems that Marcelo Bielsa’s top acquisition only really got going once the Argentine was sacked.
Having signed Rodrigo for a then club-record fee of £27m, it was expected he would offer supplementary goals to go alongside the already red-hot Patrick Bamford. However, the 32-year-old quickly fell flat until this new season offered him a fresh start.
The former Valencia man had notched ten goals in just 18 league appearances and seemed poised to fire them to safety had he not been struck down with an injury in late January.
When will Rodrigo be back from injury?
Rodrigo has remained out ever since that innocuous challenge in their FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley, as it was revealed he had suffered bone and ligament damage and underwent minor surgery.
However, it was recently suggested that the club’s top scorer for the season remained hopeful that a surprise return could be on the cards for tomorrow’s match against Brighton and Hove Albion. Should that prove a game too early, their following clash is seen as more of a certainty.
His reintroduction into the fold would prove so important for Javi Gracia, who has been without the Whites’ star man since he took over from Marsch.
Despite this desperation for his return to fitness, it was just last year that the 6-foot dynamo was lambasted for his underwhelming performances when he was needed most.
Even former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips noted:
“His performances haven’t justified the amount they spent on him. It was a lot of money. I would say he’s been disappointing so far for Leeds, in all honesty.”
As such, his abysmal form, where he had scored just six all season, saw his value crumble during his time at Elland Road.
Once rated at an impressive €30m (£26.2m) upon joining in 2020, his value has since fallen to just €9m (£7.9m) as of late 2022, which marks a 236% drop in value, further compounded by his age.
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The £100k-per-week dynamo seemed destined to be forever remembered as one of Leeds’ most notorious transfer flops, and yet since his reignition under Marsch, the fanbase yearns for his return. His emergence from the operating table could be the catalyst to save the club from the drop.