Why Swansea should keep hold of Joe Rodon amidst Man City interest
According to reports in the Mirror, Premier League champions Manchester City are eyeing up a transfer for Swansea City youngster Joe Rodon. The 20-year-old central defender is playing at the senior level for the first time and has impressed so much that Pep Guardiola is keeping close tabs on the player.
The Welshman’s contract is set to expire next summer and talks of a new contract has begun with Swansea. The club want the young rising star to sign a new contract and stay at Liberty Stadium for a longer period of time (Mirror).
Attracting interest from the best team in England – and one of the best in Europe – is a huge compliment for a young player like Rodon. However, he shouldn’t think of the big move yet and instead, Rondon must continue performing on a regular basis for Swansea. Here’s why:
Opportunities at Swansea
It is obvious that City and Guardiola won’t hand him the first-team baton anytime soon. The Welshman could be joining the academy and play for the U23s at best.
He may receive chances to probably play one or two cup games at the most. The Cityzens need a player like him to improve the base of their youth structure and Rodon could certainly make an impact there.
But for the player, this won’t suffice on the same lines. It’s true that joining City would increase his prominence as a player. However, playing regular first-team football at Swansea makes more sense for him right now.
The Welshman will surely get more chances to impress under Graham Potter, which is not guaranteed under Guardiola.
Conclusion
Joe Rodon is a quality player who is currently at the right club. At Swansea, he can play several first-team games and gain experience before looking for big moves. Since he is still only 20, he has the required time to further develop and join an established club as a senior squad player.
Moving to Manchester City now would be a mistake on his behalf. Therefore, the Swans are doing the right thing by initiating talks of a new contract. They should do everything to keep the player at the club for the foreseeable future.