Jesús Rodríguez arrived at Como with the price tag and promise of a player expected to add imagination to Cesc Fabregas’ project. The Spanish winger had built a reputation as an assist specialist in the Betis academy, and his nine Serie A assists last season showed why the club were prepared to invest heavily in him.
Como paid €22.5 million plus bonuses, in a deal that could rise to almost €28 million. At the time, it stood as the most expensive signing of the Suwarso era. Yet the opening stretch of this campaign has left Rodríguez fighting for a clearer place in the side.
Quick facts
- Jesús Rodríguez will turn 21 in November.
- Como’s deal for him was worth €22.5 million plus bonuses, close to €28 million in total.
- He recorded nine Serie A assists last season.
- He has played 150 league minutes this season, without a goal or an assist.
- Como face nine matches in 28 days before the next international break, across Serie A and the Champions League.
Rodríguez started against Udinese but has since been limited to brief appearances against Parma and Frosinone. Fabregas has publicly identified the issue as one of development, saying the player must overcome his “natural immaturity”.
That concern was reinforced during Spain Under-21s’ extraordinary win over San Marino. Introduced when Spain were already 12-0 ahead, Rodríguez created the 13th goal before being sent off shortly afterwards for an off-the-ball confrontation.
It was not an isolated warning. Last season, during a match against Cremonese, a retaliatory foul brought him a red card and a three-match suspension. Rodríguez’s edge can be part of his personality on the pitch, but Como need it channelled more carefully if he is to become a dependable option over a long season.
There is also a practical question around his final action. He has yet to register either a goal or an assist in the league, and the underlying numbers do not offer much relief: only Douvikas has posted a lower expected-goals figure among Como players.
Still, Rodríguez has not disappeared from matches when selected. Despite his limited minutes, he is joint-fourth in Como’s squad for shots attempted, alongside Diao, who has played more than twice as much. The winger has continued to look for the decisive move himself, whether through a cross, a dribble or a shot.
The coming month may give Fabregas the moment to revisit his role. Nine games in 28 days will demand rotation, particularly with Como needing to manage leading players such as Diao, whose physical record makes excessive workloads an obvious risk.
That schedule could turn Rodríguez from a peripheral figure into a useful alternative. The quality that persuaded Como to make such a major investment remains evident; the next task is to match it with composure, discipline and a more decisive end product when the opportunities arrive.
