With Nayef Aguerd and Emerson Palmieri joining Marseille, West Ham United deserve real credit for stripping down a squad chock-full of ageing or underperforming players. getting rid of Guido Rodriguez, however, may be a challenge too far.
Just days after former Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta urged his old employers Marseille to bring the Brazil-born Italy international to France, Emerson put pen to paper at the Stade Velodrome.
Now, Hammers News can confirm that Nayef Aguerd is joining Marseille too. If letting Emerson go for a nominal fee felt like rather strange business, then West Ham United can certainly pat themselves on the back after convincing L’OM to invest £17.5 million on a defender who was part of a backline breached eight times in the first two Premier League matches of the new campaign.
Hammers News reported three weeks ago that West Ham were looking to move on five players, at least, before the deadline. Emerson, Aguerd and Edson Alvarez have all departed since then.
Tomas Soucek looks set to stay, but few supporters will have an issue with that. Soucek possesses a goal threat few at the London Stadium can match.
As for Guido Rodriguez, well, this is one which looks destined to rumble on all the way until the deadline.
Guido Rodriguez’s Real Betis return in doubt as West Ham United struggle to sell
Club America’s pursuit of Guido Rodriguez was held up due to Liga MX regulations. Clubs in Mexico’s top flight are only able to register a certain number of foreign-born players.
And Argentina international Rodriguez, who excelled at Club America before joining Real Betis in 2020, was therefore blocked from returning to his old stomping ground.
La Liga outfit Espanyol closed the door a few days ago, meanwhile. Barcelona’s Catalan neighbours signed Charles Pickel, another defensive midfielder, instead. Thus, leaving West Ham, well, in a bit of a pickle.
Guido Rodriguez’s preferred destination was always Real Betis, the club where he played the best football of his career from 2020 to 2024.
But while Manuel Pellegrini appears open to welcoming Rodriguez back at the Estadio Benito Villamarin – the former West Ham boss accepts that a deep-lying enforcer is required – ABC de Sevilla provided a rather pessimistic update on Monday lunchtime.
While Betis look to conclude a £20 million deal for Manchester United misfit Antony, ABC de Sevilla claim that the Conference League runners-up may have to sell at least one player to make room for another deadline-day addition.
Despite interest in Cedric Bakambu, Chimy Avila and Santi Altimira – who Rodriguez could replace – none of the trio are expected to leave as things stand.
Furthermore, ABC add that Rodriguez’s wages make his return to Andalusia ‘difficult’ from a financial standpoint.
Manuel Pellegrini suggested there is a role for Rodriguez at Real Betis
According to Capology, Rodriguez earns £75,000-a-week at the London Stadium.
“I haven’t mentioned Guido’s name in any press conference,” Pellegrini told Estadio Deportivo in late-August. “I’ve never spoken about names that could come or go, so that’s speculation.
“[But] I gave my opinion, that I think we’re missing someone for that position, and we’ll see if we can bring him in or not. And, if we can bring someone in, [it must be] a good reinforcement.”
After starting two of West Ham’s first three games of 2025/26, the World Cup winner watched on from the bench as Graham Potter celebrated a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
In what could be his final appearance for the club, Guido Rodriguez gave away a ‘lazy’ penalty in the Carabao Cup exit at Wolves, to quote Hammers icon Tony Gale.
The good news, though, is that the Saudi Pro League transfer window is due to stay open until September 10th.
There are Saudi clubs interested in signing Rodriguez on a potential £6.5 million deal.
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