Tottenham target Rodrigo Moreno Machado certainly has some impressive footballing connections. He’s the cousin of Bayern Munich’s Thiago Alcantara and Celta Vigo star, Rafinha. He’s also the nephew of former Brazil star Mazinho.
Given these links, it looks like he’s set for a big career. But at 22-years-old, he still has a way to go.
He started his career at Celta Vigo, before moving to Real Madrid in 2009 at just 18 years old. He moved up from Real Madrid C, to Real Madrid B, before securing a £6m move Benfica in July 2010.
That’s a lot of chopping and changing for a young player. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there and Moreno joined Bolton Wanderers on a season long loan. He made 17 appearances and scored just a single goal. I don’t think it did his development any real favours.
It was only when he returned to Portugal that his career took off. He played 38 games for Benfica during his first full season with the club and scored 16 goals. The next year he further underlined his talent by adding a further 11 goals to his tally.
His form for the Spanish U21s has also helped him to receive international recognition. He scored 15 goals in 16 games. If he can take this kind of scoring form over to club level, he’s certainly going to have a promising career.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tottenham have been linked to the player. Andre Villas-Boas seems to know his stuff when it comes to young players and Spurs are a little short upfront.
The Star claims that Spurs sent scouts to watch the player last weekend, who unfortunately remained on the bench throughout the game. They won’t have learned much, but it’s not like the player’s an unknown quantity.
The 22-year-old is under contract with the Superliga side until 2019. He’s got a £40m release clause written into his contract. But if Spurs are genuinely interested, I’m sure AVB will be able to negotiate a fair price.
Tottenham fans may well be holding out for a bigger name, but as a second, or third choice striker, I think Moreno is a great option. He’s the kind of player who could really blossom into something special and would offer a fine counter-balance to the likes of Roberto Soldado.
So let’s see if AVB can tempt yet another talented youngster over to White Hart Lane.
What’s your take? Should Spurs move in for Rodrigo Moreno?
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