Real Madrid Transfers: Playing keep or sell with every winger

LW/RW Rodrygo Goes

I have Rodrygo Goes listed at both positions as an honor to his versatility. Because while Rodrygo spent more time on the right side of Real Madrid’s attack this season, Madridistas who have watched him closely since his dream debut against Osasuna in 2019 will readily tell you that he is more comfortable on the left-hand side. I’m sure Santos fans will say the same.

Rodrygo is the player I have the highest hopes for on the wings. We often praise him for having a lot of polish for a 20-year-old, and that’s true. But he does have some growing to do when it comes to finding his identity in the squad. I think what hasn’t helped is the infrequent playing time and the lack of minutes on the left. Rodrygo only played 1,306 minutes in all competitions, meaning he had half as much playing time as Marco Asensio.

That’s kind of a problem, though some of the disparity in minutes is explained by a late December injury against Granada that derailed the young winger’s season. Even so, I would have liked to see Rodrygo get more minutes than Marcelo, for example.

He’s an obvious player to keep. Out of all the players on this list, he’s in the safest position, even moreso than fellow young talent Vinicius. Rodrygo had more assists per 90 minutes than any Real Madrid player this season, and that says a lot about his quality in the final third as far as technique and decision-making go. He’s just a smart footballer who does things that a lot of young players don’t, especially at a position that isn’t really his favored spot.

Verdict: Keep