VfL Wolfsburg are hopeful that left-back Ricardo Rodriguez will sign a new contract with the club despite ongoing rumours about the Switzerland international moving to Manchester United or Bayern Munich.
Rodriguez, 22, was shortlisted for ESPN FC Player of the Year award last season after a stellar campaign and is not only renowned for his dangerous free-kicks, but also for his runs up the field, while at the same time focusing on his defensive contributions.
"He is the best left-back in Bundesliga," Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking recently said about the player, who is under contract at Die Wolfe until 2016.
Wolfsburg hope to tie Rodriguez to the club beyond that date and are set to stretch to their limits to keep him as they enter talks over a new deal.
"We have talked to Ricci's agents. There will be concrete talks soon," sporting executive Klaus Allofs told Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung. "Of course you have to pay market based prices. But we don't want to keep him with money, but rather convince him that we can be successful on the pitch."
However, the Bundesliga side will face stiff competition as kicker claimed that Manchester United made a move for the left-back this summer and that Louis van Gaal has still not given up hope to lure him to Old Trafford.
According to Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, Van Gaal could also face competition for the defender from Bayern Munich, who were also interested in Rodriguez in the summer, but opted to sign Valencia's Juna Bernat instead.
The paper also claims, Rodriguez, who has already said that he's not "waiting" to enter talks with Wolfsburg, will only consider staying at Wolfsburg should they offer to include a release clause in his new contract.