MEXICO -- The recent transfers of young Mexican players to Europe, such as Diego Lainez and Edson Álvarez, have caught the attention of teams in the Old Continent. Specifically, Real Betis has been monitoring four players from the Liga BBVA MX in recent months, some of whom are national team selections and have stood out in Mexican football.
ESPN Digital presents the four players on the Spanish team's agenda for a possible transfer.
José Juan Macías
He is considered one of the best national forwards at present. Since joining León, he has been given the opportunity and has established himself as a starter in Ignacio Ambriz's team. With León, he has scored 16 goals in 31 matches.
At 20 years old, Macías has already received call-ups to the Mexican National Team and is part of the Olympic team's process. He was also called up by the senior representative team's coach, Gerardo Martino, in the current FIFA international break and scored his first brace against Bermuda.
Francisco Córdova
At 22 years old, the midfielder has taken advantage of the opportunities he has received at América and has outperformed Rubén González and Leonel López for a spot on the field.
In his quest to stay in the top division, he was loaned out a year and a half ago to Necaxa, where he performed well and earned a starting position. Now, he has delivered good performances with América. The young player can play as a second holding midfielder, a winger, or even an attacking midfielder. It was recently revealed that clubs like Benfica, Manchester United, and Real Betis were interested in his services.
Santiago Giménez
As the son of Cruz Azul idol Christian 'Chaco' Giménez, this young forward has been developed in Cruz Azul's youth academy and has been called up for different categories of the Mexican National Team. One of the aspects that has caught people's attention the most is his speed and height (6 feet), which allow him to compete well in aerial play.
The young player has received opportunities this season due to Martín Cauteruccio's poor form, which has led a section of the fans to demand that the 18-year-old be given a chance. In an interview with ESPN Digital, Santiago confirmed that a scout from Real Betis was present at the match between Cruz Azul and Pumas in the U20 category.
Santiago Román
Among the aforementioned players, he has the least recognition and goes unnoticed by the fans. He is an 18-year-old center-back who came through Puebla's youth academy, where he joined the U17 team three years ago.
The Los Olivos Sports Complex has witnessed the development of this 6 feet tall center-back, whose standout characteristics include excellent anticipation and both defensive and offensive aerial play. Furthermore, one advantage he has is his left-footed profile, which gives him an edge when playing as a left-sided center-back.
The player made his debut in the Copa MX at 17 years old on January 2 against Tampico Madero Futbol, and he has been called up to the Mexican National Team's U18 squad.