SOCCER
Will Real Madrid star Rodrygo Goes sign for Manchester City?
Manchester City, who are set to need a replacement for forward Julián Álvarez, are long-term admirers of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes.
Forward Rodrygo Goes has absolutely no interest in leaving Real Madrid, Diario AS understands, despite long-term interest from Manchester City.
Rodrygo eager for long Madrid stay
While City are likely to need a replacement for attacker Julián Álvarez, who is set to join Atlético Madrid in a €95 million ($103 million) deal this off season, Rodrygo is happy at the Bernabéu and isn’t even entertaining the possibility of a departure.
Although City boss Pep Guardiola is a firm admirer, such is the strength of Rodrygo’s desire to remain a Madrid player that the Premier League champions have not tabled a summer bid or even sounded out a deal. And were an approach to materialise, not even personal overtures from Guardiola himself could persuade Rodrygo to leave Madrid, where he has won two Champions Leagues already - and is key to the club’s future plans.
Madrid seek to deter suitors with huge release clause
Following the summer arrival of France striker Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo is expected to be a starter in a fearsome attacking trio with Mbappé and fellow Brazilian Vinícius Júnior. The Santos youth product has been a central element of Madrid’s long-term efforts to build an attack featuring the brightest stars in the world, with other exciting young forwards such as Endrick Felipe, Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz now also at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal.
Madrid chiefs are therefore firmly on the same page as Rodrygo, a player who told club president Florentino Pérez when he joined: “Presi, I want to make history here.” They have no intention of losing a player of the 23-year-old’s calibre, particularly as the club prepares for a season in which it will be chasing no fewer than seven trophies: LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
And Madrid are under no financial pressure to sell a player whose contract protects him against offers from state-backed ‘super clubs’ such as City. While Rodrygo’s transfer value is estimated at €110 million ($120 million) by the specialist website Transfermarkt, Madrid have inserted a whopping €1 billion ($1.1 billion) buy-out clause in the Brazil international’s current contract, which runs until 2028.
Rodrygo’s Real Madrid stats
Since signing for Madrid from Santos in 2019, Rodrygo has scored 54 goals and supplied 41 assists in 216 appearances for Los Merengues. In addition to two European titles, he has helped the Spaniards to three LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup.