6 Things Leeds Fans Should Know About Rodrigo Moreno

Well, it's actually happening then!

Few would have predicted that Leeds United would actually have been able to secure the services of Valencia's Rodrigo this summer despite registering their interest, but the newly-promoted club have indeed agreed a deal to sign the Spain international.

After 16 years away from the top flight, the signing is a real statement to the rest of the Premier League. Valencia have confirmed that a 'preliminary agreement' has been reached with Leeds, with the two clubs agreeing a fee in the region of €30m, potentially rising to around €40m with add-ons.

As he will soon become the club's record signing, all eyes will be on him and fans will be looking to him to deliver in 2020/21. But unless you take a keen interest in keeping up to date with all things Valencia, you may not know too much about Rodrigo and what he can offer.

Here's a look at some key things to about the attacker...

1. He Spent His Early Days at Real Madrid

For a player that has so frequently been linked with a move to Barcelona, it would be easy to forget Rodrigo was actually on the books of Real Madrid.

The Spaniard left Celta Vigo to join Los Blancos in 2009, initially joining the club's C team. However, he was quickly moved up to Real Madrid's Castilla side, where he made 18 appearances.

Rodrigo trained with the first team on several occasions, but after a certain Jose Mourinho walked through the doors at the Bernabeu, this....well, you can probably guess what happened next.

He was offloaded to Benfica just one month later. Of course, Real looked to include a buyback clause in the deal but after Fábio Coentrão joined Los Blancos, this was removed from the contract.

2. He's Scored for Bolton in the Premier League

Rodrigo was born in Brazil and trained with the likes of Flamengo, Celta Vigo and Real Madrid. But it was at Bolton where he really developed as a footballer.

Yep, Bolton.

He started just four Premier League games, and he even scored, and it was a move that helped him evolve and grow. Rodrigo was still a raw talent when shipped out on loan, but then-manager Owen Coyle was desperate to make the move permanent. However, Benfica and Bolton couldn't agree a fee.

Rodrigo has since alluded to the fact that the loan to Bolton helped him grow as a person, while it also made him improve his physical stature.

3. He's Not Exactly Prolific

If Leeds fans are hoping for a goal machine who will find the net 20 times in the Premier League next season, then they may be left disappointed.

Rodrigo managed just the four goals in La Liga in 2019/20, despite taking 41 shots. This left him with a conversion rate of just 9.8% - which isn't exactly fantastic, if we're being honest.

The season prior wasn't much better either, managing a conversion rate of 10% after scoring eight times from 80 shots.

But a very impressive 2017/18 campaign saw him grab 16 goals in 37 league games - leading to big interest in his services.

On the international scene, Rodrigo has impressed when called upon, scoring eight times in 22 caps for Spain.

4. But He's a Complete Forward

It's almost mandatory to allude to goal figures when discussing a striker, but this would be unfair to Rodrigo as his game involves so much more than just finding the back of the net.

As a mobile forward, the Spain international is equally capable of linking play with his teammates as he is holding up the ball. Rodrigo poses a real threat, drifting into pockets of space to influence a game.

The 29-year-old is actually a very well-rounded footballer and doesn't have a particular area of weakness to expose. Perhaps what will excite Leeds fans most about the signing is that Rodrigo has all the attributes to thrive in Marcelo Bielsa's system.

A vastly experienced, all-round striker for €30m? It's excellent business.

5. Gary Neville's a Fan

It's fair to say Gary Neville didn't really enjoy the best of times at Valencia.

His spell as Los Ches boss is now mostly used as ammunition by Jamie Carragher to ridicule Neville on Sky Sports, and fair enough, really. During the former Manchester United defender's short time at the club, he worked closely with Rodrigo - even though he struggled with injuries early on in his tenure.

Neville wasn't able to get the best out of him as he failed to score a single league goal during his time there. However, he was left impressed by his work ethic and overall ability.

“I am very impressed with him,” Neville said in January 2016, as quoted by El Mundo. “Since he returned from Christmas he has trained fantastically well. He had a very good impact in the Real Madrid game. I believe in him a lot, I have a lot of faith.”

6. Valencia Valued Him at €60m Last Summer

Valencia have been put in a position this summer where they simply can't stop players from leaving if the right offer comes in due to their financial problems.

Rodrigo had been linked (somewhat tediously) with a move to Barcelona last summer...and again in January. The Catalan giants were keen to bring in a Luis Suarez replacement, but a move for the Spaniard proved too expensive.

Considering his level of consistency and what he contributes to the team more generally, Valencia value him very highly. They agreed to sell him to Atletico Madrid last summer after their €60m valuation was met, but Los Rojiblancos pulled out of the deal at the last second.

Sure, the 2019/20 season wasn't his finest, but it has been Valencia's need to sell that has forced them into parting ways with Rodrigo this summer.

For more from Adam Aladay, follow him on Twitter!