Johor DT made a special announcement yesterday, revealing that their prized asset in the form of Jorge Diaz, will be departing the club soon after an undisclosed Brazilian side agreed a deal to secure the Argentine’s signature. This news certainly comes as a massive loss for the Southern Tigers, considering the sort of impact Diaz has made on the club since his arrival less than a year ago.
But at the same time, Johor DT also made the diligent move of securing a replacement, with Patricio Julián Rodríguez joining them from renowned Brazilian side, Santos FC. He is fondly known as Patito Rodriguez, or even Pato Rodriguez to some, and according to the Southern Tigers’ Official Facebook Page, he will be joining them when the April transfer window opens in one months time.
FULL BIODATA
Name: Patito Rodriguez
Age: 24 years old
Playing Position: Attacking midfielder, Striker
Previous Teams:
2000-2007 (Independiete – Youth Career)
2007-2012 (Independiete – Senior Team)
2012 (Santos)
2013-2014 (Estudiantes – On Loan from Santos)
*Source = Wikipedia
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
He exploded into the scene with Independiete as an exciting young talent in 2007, but only really became a major fixture in their starting line up two years later. He is widely known for being a traditional South American player, with plenty of flair and pace in him and the 24 year-old can also be threatening on the ball. His ability certainly did not go unnoticed as he attracted the attention of Manchester United and Benfica back in 2011, though Sir Alex eventually opted against signing the Quilmes-born Argentinean. When Santos went through an injury crisis back in 2012, they immediately opted to sign Patito on a four-year contract. Despite making 20 appearances in his first year with them, he eventually fell out of favour and struggled to get into the first team, before being eventually shipped off to Estudiantes on loan. Over there, he made 27 appearances, scoring two goals, though the Argentinean side decided against making his move permanent. Since then, he has returned to Santos and will now be joining Johor DT on-loan till the end of the season.
WHAT WILL HE BRING TO JOHOR DT
It must be said that the Southern Tigers have been extremely diligent in their transfer activity. Jorge Diaz is arguably their most important player, and that’s not entirely due to the goals he scores, but also the sort of dynamism he brings to the team. So you can’t exactly replace him with an ordinary foreign player who is more often than not excellent in front of the goal. But in Patito Rodriguez, they seem to have a name that could potentially match Jorge Diaz’s influence, if not better it.
The 24 year-old is able to play across the front three as well as a forward, which makes him a really flexible player. With Nazrin Nawi and S. Chanturu possessing plenty of pace, their roles should be able to complement his presence within the team; adding significant amount of pace within the team. However, the one questionable aspect is his goalscoring prowess. While Patito is known for his creativity, he doesn’t exactly score too many goals. In fact, as of 3rd November last year, he has netted a total of 13 goals throughout his senior career.
But lets not kid ourselves. There is a clear gulf in class between the Malaysia football and Brazilian football, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Patito starts hitting his strides upon assimilating into the Johor team. On paper, it’s evident that he has plenty to offer. Beyond that, he’s a flexible player, which gives Bojan a lot of options in terms of structuring their offensive department. Should he replicate those elements on the pitch, Johor fans are definitely in for an exciting ride!
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