Four English clubs are believed to be interested in the Elche youngster
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It was a stunning summer of spending in the Premier League but given the iffy start to the league by at least four of the big six, that’s unlikely to change in the January transfer window and a midfield prodigy from La Liga is catching the eye of top flight scouts in London and the north east.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Elche’s Rodri Mendoza has super-clubs across the continent chasing the 20-year-old who has a release clause of only €20 million (£17.6m), with the journalist saying on YouTube:
“Arsenal had their scouts already at two games between October and November to follow Mendoza,” Romano said. “Arsenal are keeping a close eye on the player. Not only Arsenal, because also Italian and Spanish clubs are monitoring him.
“Spanish, quality player, 20 years old, €20m could be a bargain. Arsenal are very good with these opportunities. There are more clubs interested in him, so let’s see what’s going to happen, but for sure an interesting player to follow.”
The Gunners aren’t his only admirers in England though as according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea value his defensive tenacity and see him as a Moises Caicedo protege while Thomas Frank thinks Mendoza could ignite Tottenham Hotspur going forward with his progressive passing. However, the perfect landing spot for Mendoza - as with almost any talented midfielder apart from Kalvin Phillips - is with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Mendoza can be Manchester City’s next evolution
Without wishing to put too much pressure on a 20-year-old who’s only played 10 top-flight games, Mendoza could have the same impact at the Etihad Stadium as his compatriots Rodri and David Silva.
While Mendoza’s hinted at solidity out of possession, he’s yet to become a true enforcer though standing six feet tall, there’s still plenty of time for that to develop. And even if he can’t, he can still become a master conductor under Guardiola (Kevin de Bruyne and Xavi didn’t do too badly despite their defensive shortcomings after all).
Mendoza’s ability to progress the field either by dribbling or passing is what immediately stands out with the youngster and would help him slot in seamless to The Citizen’s style. Deployed as a six or eight, Mendoza is in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per Opta via FBref, averaging two per game which would put him ahead of a host of stars including Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, Amad Diallo and Jack Grealish if he could replicate it in the Premier League and he’s in the top 3% for progressive passes received too.
Few midfielders (especially so such deep-lying ones) make as many entries into the final third and opposition penalty area as Mendoza who is also in the top 7% for progressive carries, and ranks similarly highly for balls into the 18-yard-box. If he can hone these skills under the tutelage of arguably the best to every coach it then there’s no telling how high Mendoza could fly.
However, if he has that much talent, why can’t he succeed at one of London’s big clubs?
Guardiola presence puts City ahead of London rivals
It might seem strange to discount Arsenal based on their strength in depth in midfield given Manchester City have more options in that area on paper, but it’s hard to imagine Mikel Arteta wanting to disrupt his incredibly settled side. Meanwhile Guardiola is notoriously more predisposed to tinker, and 27-year-old Tijjani Reijnders is his second-youngest front line midfielder excluding out-of-position options like Nico O’Reilly, Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes.
We don’t know if Rodri will ever return to his best in sky blue but Mendoza could expect to be rotated much more heavily for Nico Gonzalez and Reijnders than Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice, while Spurs could be too far towards the opposite end of the spectrum. Given Frank’s struggles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Mendoza could end up shouldering
The much more accomplished Xavi Simons has shown how difficult it can be to adapt to Premier League midfield play and paired in a double-pivot with either Joao Palhinha or Rodrigo Bentancur, Mendoza would immediately take on most of the responsibility to create from deep.
That leaves Chelsea as the only viable option, who currently boast one of the best midfields in the Premier League and indeed across Europe. Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez certainly didn’t come cheap but both aged 24, they can expect to be locking the top flight and Champions League for years to come.
Mendoza wouldn’t be the first ultra-talented player or midfielder to get lost at Stamford Bridge (and ironically the poster boy for that club ended up starring for Manchester City), but Guardiola’s record for developing players like the 20-year-old is unbeatable.
If the Catalan is committed to the Etihad Stadium long-term then he can turn Mendoza into the next Rodri or De Bruyne - what player wouldn’t want that?