Real Madrid identified the four players they wanted to sign, and they’ve signed them.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Franco Mastantuono, Alvaro Carreras, and Dean Huijsen have all joined in the last couple of months. Now, the focus is no longer on signings.
As reported by several journalists on Sunday and Monday, Real Madrid’s priority has shifted to sales - and plenty of them. They have already sold a number of Castilla players, released three players who were out of contract since last season, and are looking for offers for several first-team players.
The biggest potential sale could be Rodrygo. He has been rumoured to want to leave for months, ever since Carlo Ancelotti substituted him against Barcelona. Now, even though it’s August, the noise around his departure has died down.
Fabrizio Romano has now said to DAZN that Rodrygo is not desperate to leave. He loves Real Madrid and wants to fight for his place. The only way he would consider leaving is if a top club made an important offer to make him the star of their project. Otherwise, he’s happy to stay.
Rodrygo must leave Real Madrid solely for his own sake
It’s an odd situation for both sides. For Rodrygo, it’s strange because he will get fewer minutes than in the past two seasons. He won’t play on the left wing. He will either have to adapt to the right wing or settle for a place on the bench - neither option is ideal for a player of his calibre.
For Real Madrid, there’s no rush to sell him. But if they intend to do so in the future, now would be the time. With reduced minutes, his value will drop. Another year on his contract will pass, and next summer he could be sold for less than he would fetch now.
Still, it’s not entirely in their hands. No club has made a formal offer. Only Tottenham Hotspur have made an inquiry, which Rodrygo turned down, according to multiple journalists. Liverpool and Arsenal have shown interest but have never submitted an official bid or inquiry.
It remains to be seen what happens in the coming weeks. Even though Fabrizio says he’s staying, a departure can’t be completely ruled out. One thing is certain - Rodrygo won’t get many minutes this season unless he delivers outstanding performances in a position he doesn’t prefer.