Arsenal were right to dodge £27million transfer mistake made by Leeds United

Arsenal's decision to avoid signing now Leeds United striker Rodrigo Moreno seems to have been proven right.

In April 2019, the Gunners were linked with a £50million move for Rodrigo, who, at the time, was tearing things up for Valencia and getting into the Spain national team.

The now 29-year-old scored 35 times in 141 league appearances for Valencia across five years - not including his initial loan spell - managing a very respectable return.

He was once considered one of the best strikers in Spain, representing his country at the 2018 World Cup, and the Gunners once considered bringing him to the Emirates Stadium.

Does David Luiz have a future at Arsenal?

Or at least that's what reports claimed in April 2019, when Arsenal were said to be in talks over a £50m deal, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future unclear at the time.

Instead, the Gunners opted against the deal, singing winger Nicolas Pepe during that window for a whopping £72m, a signing that hasn't quite gone to plan just yet.

But avoiding Rodrigo may just have proved to be a wise decision.

The Brazilian-born frontman ended up joining Leeds United a year later, on a deal worth £27m, and he hasn't exactly impressed just yet.

Rodrigo has scored just three goals and assisted one in 20 senior appearances across all competitions this season, though with Marcelo Bielsa firmly trusting in Patrick Bamford in the striker role, Rodrigo has been forced to play out of position, in attacking midfield.

In fact, the last time the Spain international played in the striker role he flourished in at Valencia was against Arsenal in a goalless draw in November.

That could be one of the reasons behind his less than exemplary form, but either way, it seems Arsenal might have dodged a bullet.

And Rodrigo won't be able to prove that narrative wrong this weekend when Arsenal face Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium having been ruled out for 'weeks' with a muscle injury.

"It's not a question of days, more of weeks," Leeds boss Bielsa said of the injury. "Rodrigo fell and his legs separated and caused an elongation more than usual and this caused the injury.

"I saw a picture of the position both of his feet ended up in and the difference between them was different to what we would expect."