The Spanish transfer window is now closed, but it wasn't an eventful deadline day for Real Madrid. This is hardly surprising, considering Los Blancos operated their business and shut the shop early doors. Some people may call it boring, we call it efficient.
Much like last season, though, Rodrygo stayed. There was no late drama involving Rodrygo, despite the chaos induced by the anxiety of the unknown.
Bad news for Vinicius Jr, right? Wrong.
Viniciur Jr benefits from Real Madrid keeping Rodrygo
Rodrygo has always, and will always, make Vinicius Jr a better player. The media paints this bizarre narrative that the two are in a futile competition for places, but that's not the case. The differences in their playing style allow plenty of space for both to operate.
Conversely, it's the fact that Rodrygo can play Vini's role that makes Vini better. Sure, it does add a little bit of jeopardy to his position; heck, we all know that Rodrygo is world-class in his own right, but it also adds a bit of comfort, too.
Xabi Alonso can rotate between Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, which is a great option to have. It allows Vini to preserve his fitness, not risk any injury, while letting Rodrygo ball out from time to time.
It remains to be seen how long Rodrygo remains in a Real Madrid jersey. Some would even expect him to leave in the January transfer window, which wouldn't be entirely surprising.
However, if he's only a Real Madrid player for another six months, then it'll be a great six months. Real Madrid will squeeze every last bit of quality out of Rodrygo, and the relationship between club and player is still healthy enough to do that. At the same time, Rodrygo will benefit from the best resources in the world while seeking a new adventure. Everybody wins.
Real Madrid has never been in a rush to sell Rodrygo. And they certainly won't ostracise him from the first team now, that would benefit nobody and there's no reason to do that. Instead, they should seek quality gametime for Rodrygo when possible, to increase his stock value.
So far, Rodrygo has made two La Liga appearances. He started one and came off the bench in the other. This is essentially what's to be expected for the coming months.