Leeds: Marsch could give £27m star 'opportunity he's been crying out for'

Leeds forward Rodrigo is desperate to play in a front two at Elland Road, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The 31-year-old has been unable to nail down a specific position since arriving as a £27m signing from Valencia in 2020, but O’Rourke has suggested that Rodrigo will be optimistic that this could change under new manager Jesse Marsch.

With Patrick Bamford out injured for the majority of the campaign to date, Rodrigo has been a regular in the starting XI, and has often played as either an attacking midfielder or a lone striker.

He scored in back-to-back matches against Wolves and Norwich in October, but has only found the net once since then in the top-flight.

According to WhoScored, he has been Leeds’ seventh-best player this term, yet he has only earned an average match rating of 6.60 as Marcelo Bielsa consistently struggled to get the best out of the 27-cap Spain international.

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O’Rourke thinks Rodrigo would ideally like to play with a strike partner, and he believes he may be handed this chance by Marsch if the American coach opts to play the 4-2-2-2 formation he has become famed for.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said: “Rodrigo has been crying out for an opportunity to be played in a front two, so he’ll be hoping that he can get a regular run in the side under Jesse Marsch.”

When a new manager comes in, there are often winners and losers with regards to which individual players their approach will suit. Rodrigo could be a potential winner from Marsch’s appointment.

Under Bielsa, he showed glimpses of his talent, but had issues with consistency, especially given that he is Leeds’ most expensive player ever and a lot is expected of