Real Betis has officially signed Spanish winger Rodrigo Riquelme from Atlético Madrid on a five-year contract that lasts until June 2030. This information was shared by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The deal is worth about €18 million, and it includes a sell-on clause for Atlético Madrid. Riquelme will take the place of 19-year-old academy player Jesús Rodríguez, who is moving to Serie A’s Como for €22.5 million plus €6 million in bonuses next week.
This transfer was announced on social media, with posts like @FabrizioRomano saying, “Rodrigo Riquelme to Real Betis, here we go!” Many Betis fans are excited, seeing the 25-year-old as an important addition to their team during a busy season for transfers in La Liga.
Riquelme can play in different positions, either on the left wing or in the centre. He has experience in La Liga, having scored five goals and provided four assists during a loan at Girona in the 2022/23 season.
His playing time at Atlético was limited under coach Diego Simeone, with only 507 minutes in the 2024/25 season.
This situation led to his move since Atlético wants to make room for new players like Villarreal’s Álex Baena. Betis needs to fill the spot left by Rodríguez and believes Riquelme’s skills and work rate fit well with their coach, Manuel Pellegrini’s style.
“Riquelme’s ability to create and score makes him a perfect fit,” said Manu Fajardo, the sporting director of Betis, telling Estadio Deportivo about Riquelme’s importance for their UEFA Europa League campaign.
Rodríguez’s €22.5 million move to Como, where Cesc Fàbregas is the coach, shows that Betis is focusing on selling talented young players while bringing in experienced ones like Riquelme.
Riquelme, who scored five goals and gave four assists in 44 games during the 2024/25 season at Betis, was also wanted by Aston Villa but chose to go to Serie A to grow as a player.
Betis made sure to include a sell-on clause in Rodríguez’s deal for potential future profits, similar to what Atlético did with Riquelme.
On social media, fans like @LaLigaMichael praised Betis, saying, “Sold Jesús Rodríguez for €22.5 million, paid €18 million for Roro Riquelme — a smart swap.”
The transfer helps Atlético Madrid get money to sign players like Johnny Cardoso from Betis, and talks about Riquelme were originally connected to that deal.
Atlético’s insistence on including a sell-on clause shows they believe in Riquelme’s potential, even though he had trouble getting regular playing time under Simeone.
The fee of €18 million is a bit higher than the earlier estimates of €8–12 million reported by Marca, showing that Betis is serious about improving their attack, especially with questions surrounding Ez Abde.
Riquelme’s ability to play in different roles, shown in his 35 appearances for Girona, allows him to compete with Isco and strengthen Betis’s chances of finishing in the top four of La Liga.