Barcelona in talks to renew youth prodigy whose contract expires on June 30

Barcelona Atletic’s thrilling 1-1 draw against Cordoba in the first leg of their promotion playoff finals was a hard-fought battle, and one player emerged as a difference-maker: winger Dani Rodriguez.

Despite conceding an early goal, Barça Atletic clawed their way back thanks to some crucial substitutions by manager Rafa Marquez, and Rodriguez played a starring role in the equalizer.

The Basque winger came on strong in the second half, injecting a spark of creativity into the attack. His individual brilliance set up the equalizer, with a deft back pass that Pocho Roman expertly converted into a goal.

Barcelona want to extend Dani Rodriguez’s contract

Dani Rodriguez’s cameo against Cordoba in the first leg has put his contract situation back into focus, with Barcelona keen on extending his deal.

Dani’s contract in Catalonia expires at the end of this month. But according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are in talks with Pini Zahavi over a potential contract extension that will seal his future at the club.

The Catalans see Dani as a great disruptor in attack – one who can offer sparks of creativity in the final third and doesn’t require much time to do so.

Dani’s qualities have been backed by his numbers this season, with the youngster notably racking up two assists in his last four matches. He also scored four goals in the UEFA Youth League this past season.

The road ahead

Even if Dani Rodriguez ends up signing a contract extension, it won’t guarantee a place in the first team.

Barcelona, after all, have a beautiful problem of having too many youngsters who are more than capable of making a mark in professional football.

Among the ranks at Barça Atletic, Marc Guiu is already pushing for a place in the senior team next season, although the youngster has recently been courted by Sevilla as well.

Keeping that in mind, Dani Rodriguez may either have to continue his progress under Rafa Marquez for at least another season or find a loan move elsewhere, provided he does extend his contract at Barça this summer.