In front of the press, Xabi Alonso only has good things to say about Rodrygo, but the reality is completely different. The Brazilian player is not in the Tolosa-born coach’s plans, whether due to club orders or tactical reasons. The truth is that the Brazilian, who had lost his place due to the emergence of Gonzalo, seems to have no place in the squad after the return of Mbappé. Against Juventus, he was once again a substitute and once again did not play, and it seems that the player is destined to change clubs when the Club World Cup is over.
Rodrygo is not in the plans
What began as speculation seems to have been confirmed as reality. Rodrygo is not in Xabi Alonso’s plans. The Tolosa-born coach started him in the first game, perhaps to see if he could get the player back on track, or perhaps because he was one of the few “heavyweights” who had been under his command from day one. The truth is that he did not have a good game and, from that moment on, his participation was over. The second game against Pachuca was the first sign, where the Brazilian did not even warm up.
He did get some minutes against Salzburg, when qualification was already on track, but he disappointed again. Against Juventus, it was clear what was going to happen with the Brazilian: if he was already playing little despite the absence of Mbappé, the Frenchman’s return only confirms that the Brazilian international has been relegated to a secondary role.
There are many players now ahead of him, Vinicius, Mbappé, Gonzalo and Brahim, and in August Franco Mastantuono will join them, adding fuel to the fire that is lighting the way for Rodrygo, who is on his way out of Real Madrid.
Rodrygo’s step back
Rodrygo has given a lot to Real Madrid, and he has done so in important games. It is true that he is a player prone to disconnecting and going through bad spells, but he always came back, perhaps due to the team’s good momentum in recent years, but not in the last campaign, where he has been unable to recover.
This last season did not start badly, but the pressure of playing with Vinicius and Mbappé gradually took away his prominence and the player entered a disconnect from which he has not emerged all season. Ancelotti’s confidence, which never wavered, far from motivating him, made him comfortable on the right wing and his impact on the pitch was increasingly limited. He hit rock bottom in the Copa del Rey final, was singled out at halftime, and what the club and fans disliked most was his inability to bounce back. He did not play again until this World Cup, even though the team still had options in LaLiga. He threw in the towel, and at a club like Real Madrid, that comes at a high price.
Rodrygo’s departure
Rodrygo‘s departure seems closer given his new role under Xabi Alonso. Everything points to the Premier League, but negotiations will have to take place. The initial financial offers are not convincing for the player, who wants to stay at Real Madrid, and Real Madrid want $100 million, which could be $80 million. Next season is a World Cup year, Rodrygo wants to be with Brazil and he can only be there if he gets playing time and continuity. He knows it and Real Madrid knows it, which is why leaving seems to be the only option. Florentino Pérez is investing heavily this summer, and the Club World Cup and the sale of Rodrygo could more than make up for it.
After the Club World Cup, negotiations will begin and everything points to Rodrygo leaving the Spanish capital for England.