Rodrygo and Real Madrid, Real Madrid and Rodrygo. The Brazilian’s future at the club is undoubtedly the soap opera of the summer. Real Madrid are currently not counting on him and see selling the player as the best option. The problem is that his performance in recent months, coupled with his high price tag and salary demands, means that offers are not coming in for the club. The possibility of him staying at the Santiago Bernabéu is becoming increasingly likely, where he no longer fits into Xabi Alonso‘s plans, mainly due to his attitude. If there were a 180-degree change, he could find a place in the team again.
Rodrygo and poor performance
Throughout the season, Rodrygo’s performance has been less than stellar. With players of the Brazilian’s caliber or that of his compatriot Vinicius, this slump is not so much reflected in the numbers, although they are also down, but more in the feeling on the pitch. Something has happened to the forward this season that has seen him fade into complete obscurity.
The turning point came in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona. Kylian Mbappé was suffering from an ankle injury and Carlo Ancelotti decided to start the Brazilian. Rodrygo’s performance, who only played the first 45 minutes, was disastrous. The Brazilian did not make a single dribble, did not create any danger, did not shoot on goal, did not provide an assist… and so on and so forth with statistics that drew harsh criticism of the player, who did not know how to handle it or hit rock bottom because from that moment until the arrival of Xabi Alonso, he did not play a single minute again, being sidelined by an injury that was never reported by the medical staff.
Xabi Alonso: from trust to exile
With the arrival of Xabi Alonso at the end of May, the Brazilian had already gone two months without playing a single minute and was not even called up by Ancelotti to play for Brazil. At that time, the new coach of the white team was asked about the striker, in whom he showed total confidence.
“Rodrygo is a Real Madrid player and I’m going to have a conversation with him, as I do with everyone, because he deserves it and we need it. Rodrygo is a spectacular player, which I’m not going to discover, and we’re going to need him.” Xabi Alonso kept a close eye on him from the first minute of training, seeking to redirect and motivate the Brazilian, whom he gave a starting place against Al Hilal.
However, he got more of the same in response. Rodrygo was completely passive, waiting for the ball to come to him. In the first half, he did manage to get a shot on goal and provide an assist for Gonzalo, but in the second half he disappeared completely, prompting Xabi Alonso to relegate him to a secondary role, leaving him out of the squad for several games.
Rodrygo no longer fits in
The fact is that Rodrygo does not fit into Xabi Alonso’s plan. After the defeat against PSG, Xabi Alonso said that in August they would start from scratch and that “we want to build a team that plays as a unit and has that feeling and spirit.” That is precisely where Rodrygo does not fit in with his current attitude. There are no other reasons; given the team’s style of play and the quality of the player, he should have a place in the team. However, the great performance of some of his teammates and his passive, unmotivated, and lazy attitude is what has set him apart from the team. Xabi gave him a chance, and he wasted it. Now the door is open for him to leave.
A price and a salary that complicate his departure
No offers have been made for him. There has been speculation about interest from half the Premier League, including Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, City, and Chelsea, but no one has put an offer on the table. Some may be playing for time to see if Real Madrid will lower the player’s price. For now, the club is clear that it wants to sell him, but not give him away. They want a figure of no less than 100 million, which, added to the player’s salary demands in a Premier League where salaries are much lower, is complicating the Brazilian’s departure.
Rodrygo wants to earn his place
Faced with the possibility of staying, which is what the player has always wanted, Rodrygo is clear that he can earn the coach’s trust and get minutes in a very long season. In the past, he has more than proven that he can be an important player, but with his current attitude, he is certainly far from securing a place in a team where competition is increasing with the arrival of Mastantuono, the arrival of Gonzalo, and the continuity of Endrick, whom Xabi sees on the right wing.