Why Juventus could make January move for unwanted West Ham midfielder

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus could be poised to make a move for out-of-favour West Ham United midfielder Guido Rodriguez during the January transfer window, but why do the Bianconeri want the 31-year-old, who has played just 166 minutes of league football this season? 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport (via ilbianconero.com), Juventus are keeping an eye on Rodriguez, who has spent the last 18 months in East London with West Ham. 

Juventus are keen to provide Luciano Spalletti with more midfield reinforcements in the January transfer window to relieve some of the dependence on Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram. Both have started in 16 out of 17 Serie A matches for the Old Lady so far this term. 

Rodriguez could be a low-cost option for the Bianconeri given that his current contract with West Ham is due to expire at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. Additionally, West Ham signed him on a free transfer in 2024, and are not expected to seek a significant fee. 

The 31-year-old is not a particularly crucial member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s first-team squad either: He has just five appearances to his name in the Premier League so far this campaign.

That includes starts against Sunderland and Brighton in August and December, plus a 19-minute run-out against Brentford in October, one minute off the bench against Aston Villa and another 11 minutes against Manchester City in December. 

Still, Rodriguez, a member of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad, is a vastly experienced option. He is tactically disciplined, excels in ball recovery and plays in that deep-lying role where Juventus are in need of cover.

The 31-year-old holding midfielder came through the River Plate youth ranks, and went on to spend two years in the first-team before joining Tijuana of Liga MX. He then followed his manager Miguel Herrera to Club America in 2017, and went on to win the division’s player of the season award in 2019.

Rodriguez moved to Europe in 2020, joining Real Betis in a low-cost deal with just a few months remaining on his America contract. He turned out to be a mainstay in the Verdiblancos midfield, making 139 league appearances over four-and-a-half seasons.

During his time with Betis, Rodriguez also earned a call-up to Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squad for the 2022 World Cup. He made one group stage appearance against Mexico as his teammates went on to lift the trophy in Qatar.

Rodriguez went on to join West Ham in August of 2024, signing a two-year contract after leaving Real Betis on a free earlier that summer. He has struggled to cement a place for himself as a guaranteed starter in the Premier League, and now could be available for Juventus with six months to go until his contract expires.