Real Madrid is a club that loves nothing more than possessing the best players from all over the world in the squad every year. The team is filled from top to bottom with some of the biggest names in world football, spanning positions across the pitch, truly an embarrassment of riches at the manager's disposal on any given matchday.
However, having such a star-studded squad can also be a challenge when it comes to managing players' minutes. This is especially true when it comes to the attack.
Real have somewhat of an overload in attack, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior guaranteed starters. That leaves Gonzalo Garcia, Franco Mastantuono, and Rodrygo battling it out for that third attacking spot.
So far this season, the odd man out has been Rodrygo. The Brazilian went through the longest goalless drought in his Real career, but started to find his best form again before going down with an injury that has kept him sidelined over the last few weeks.
As a result his pathway back into the starting lineup keeps getting tougher and tougher leaving many to speculate if it would be in the attackers best interest to leave the Bernabeu for a fresh start elsewhere in the summer. The Brazilian has garnered interest from a number of Premier League sides in the past, but a new team has joined the race, and is ready to once again flexing their spending power.
Rodrygo could replace Salah at Liverpool
As reported by Topskills Sports UK on X, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Rodrygo as a potential attacking reinforcement ahead of the summer transfer window. The Brazilian is viewed as an ideal replacement for Mohamed Salah should he depart the defending Premier League champions this summer.
Arsenal and Manchester City were previously linked with Rodrygo, and now the Merseyside giants are the latest English club join the race for the winger. He has struggled with injuries and might not be the first choice ahead of Alvaro Arbeloa, who prefers Mbappe, Vinicius and Mastantuono.
As a result of this lack of playing time, Rodrygo, dubbed "world-class" by Luka Modric, could assess his future this summer in search of regular minutes as a starter. The 25-year-old has proven time and time again that he is a starting-calibre player, but when a manager plays favourites, it's hard to get back into the team, even when you deserve it more than others.
Rodrygo is currently valued at €60 million (via Transfermarkt) but after seeing what Liverpool are capable of spending, Real will surely ask for somewhere around €100 million for any sale of the attacker. A major squad overhaul is expected in the summer, and a number of players' futures are up in the air.
A shock departure of a star player like Rodrygo is very much on the table. The Brazilian has been the go-to man for Los Blancos in a number of clutch moments over the last few years. So it would be in the club's best interest to do everything they can to keep him and look to sell other players who are more problematic amid rumors of Vinicius creating problems behind the scenes.