Although Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti told reporters after El Clasico that Rodrygo Goes wasn't able to play against Barcelona due to an injury, many Madridistas still took his absence as a sign that his future at the club will be coming to an end.
Reports in Spain, including from Diario AS and MARCA, have stated that Rodrygo is at increasing risk of leaving this season because of his declining importance in the squad and the lack of team cohesion in the playing style that no longer suits his skill-set. After Ancelotti chose Arda Guler on the right wing over Rodrygo for the Clasico, it seemed that his fate was sealed.
Nothing is official, though, and Real Madrid have always valued Rodrygo highly, resisting all previous transfer approaches for their 2021/22 Champions League hero. But it's increasingly likely that Rodrygo could finally depart from the Spanish capital this summer after Kylian Mbappe's arrival last year and the Brazilian's subsequent struggles.
If Real Madrid are able to sell Rodrygo for around 100 million euros this summer, here are three players they could sign this summer to add something different to their world-class attack.
Bayer Leverkusen AM Florian Wirtz
The first name that comes on the list is Florian Wirtz. Although there have been reports that Wirtz said behind the scenes that he only wants Bayern Munich, Xabi Alonso unsurprisingly doused heaps of cold water on those rumors.
Not only is Wirtz in play for Real Madrid, but Kicker just reported that Bayern Munich were confident about signing the Leverkusen star until a few days ago.
They are now worried that Alonso will bring his prized pupil with him from the Bundesliga to LaLiga and that Real Madrid will have additional financial ammunition by selling Rodrygo Goes.
Furthermore - and this may be the most important point - Leverkusen would much rather send to friendly club Real Madrid than title rival Bayern.
Real Madrid already have three attacking midfield options in Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Brahim Diaz. But Bellingham is expected to transition to being an 8 under Alonso, and Guler already seems to be moving to a deeper playmaking role. Brahim is more of a versatile rotational option than someone of the caliber of a starting No. 10 for a Champions League title contender.
Wirtz is also a special player. He's honestly more talented and more consistent than Rodrygo. He was the best player on an undefeated Leverkusen side in 2023/24 and has consistently been one of the best players in the Bundesliga since he was a teenager.
Even if he costs a little more than Rodrygo, he's worth it, and he can be the centerpiece playmaker in a 3-5-2 formation under Alonso or even part of a two-headed attacking midfield beast the well-rounded Bellingham in a 3-5-2 with two attacking midfielders and defensive specialist Aurelien Tchouameni as the lone pivot.
Monaco RW Maghnes Akliouche
Signing a true left-footed right winger to replace Rodrygo Goes is going to be difficult, because there aren't many options available. Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka are both untouchable to their Premier League powerhouses, and new Bayern Munich superstar Michael Olise is set to be the face of the franchise. Antony has been dazzling in LaLiga for Real Betis, but it's pretty clear that playing under less pressure again is helping him; Real Madrid wouldn't be the solution to that.
A young player in Ligue 1 who should interest Real Madrid is Maghnes Akliouche. Monaco produce a lot of great young talents, and Akliouche might be the most exciting of them. He is one of the best wingers in Ligue 1 and one of the most important players on Monaco, a legitimate Champions League side.
This season, Akliouche, just 23 years old, has 5 goals and 10 assists with 1.6 key passes and 1.6 dribbles completed per game. He even has 1.6 tackles per game. Akliouche can bring exactly what Rodrygo does as a creator, progressor, and two-way winger while being just as young with a more natural fit on the right side as a left-footer. Akliouche can spread the pitch wide and feed chances to Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe while not sacrificing the defensive work. Real Madrid shouldn't neglect him.
Brentford RW Bryan Mbeumo
Nor should Real Madrid neglect Bryan Mbeumo. Brentford to Real Madrid may seem like a leap too high, but maybe Los Blancos need to start valuing athletic world-beaters at mid-table Premier League clubs. One of their biggest Champions League rivals of the last 10 years, Liverpool, is built on these kinds of signings like Sadio Mane and Virgil van DIjk at Southampton.
If Mbeumo is good enough to be thrown around as a Mo Salah replacement for Liverpool, then he's good enough to replace Rodrygo at Real Madrid. Mbeumo is legit, unlike some of the other wing talents that get hyped up on the transfer market by the Premier League crowd.
Playing for Brentford, Mbeumo has been the focal point of the Bees attack and has scored 18 goals with 7 assists from the wing. Those are incredible numbers, and the 25-year-old is just getting started. He is a monster athletically with his combination of speed and size, and yet he's also good enough for Madrid from a technical perspective. Nobody will confuse his skills with that of Vini Jr.'s or even Rodrygo's, but he's good at beating defenders and an even better than those guys at finishing.
Mbeumo is willing to do the dirty work and capable of supplementing goals. There isn't a better right winger on the transfer market right now than Mbeumo, and that alone should shoot the Brentford star near the top of the Real Madrid wishlist at that position.