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A bid has been made for one of Arsenal’s summer targets but it has not come from North London
Arsenal’s chances of landing Rodrygo this summer have taken a hit with two Saudi Pro League clubs both submitting offers of €130million (£111m) for the Real Madrid star, it has been reported in Spain.
Give Me Sport claimed earlier this month that the Gunners had “made enquires” to sign Rodrygo from Madrid. The Brazilian has a mega-money release clause of £845m in his contract, which effectively allows the Spanish giants to name their price for the player.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has also reported that Arsenal are interested in the forward as he provided an update on his YouTube channel just last week, stating: “There is interest from Arsenal. He’s a dream target for Arsenal, but it’s not even a negotiation at this point.”
He added further context to that claim, noting that the player would likely need to push for a move as he waits to see what his role will be under new Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso.
Two bids arrive from Saudi Pro League for Rodrygo
According to Fichajes, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal have both put offers forward for Rodrygo. Al-Hilal made a public pursuit of Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes with a £100m offer ready and a mega-money contract prepared. He rejected the move, leaving the Saudi Pro League club to target other big names from within European football.
The report goes on to add that despite Madrid’s desire to keep hold of the 24-year-old - the size of the bids from Saudi Arabia could tempt the Spanish club into a potential deal. Rodrygo scored six goals and provided six assists in 30 La Liga games for Madrid last season.
He was in the starting XI just 58 per cent of the time last campaign but his goals and assists accounted for 15 per cent of Real Madrid’s total. He has been described as “underrated” and “the most talented and most gifted player in the squad” by midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Arsenal have already missed out one forward target
Rodrygo has the ability to play across the forward line, which makes him an attractive option for clubs. Arsenal are keen to add a striker this summer but have also been linked with a handful of players to help improve their left-wing options.
One is Athletic Club’s Nico Williams while another was Leroy Sane. The former Manchester City ace worked with Mikel Arteta at the Etihad Stadium and is out of contract with Bayern Munich later this month.
Arsenal’s focus will be on adding a striker before they weigh up if they have the funds to sign Rodrygo. The bids from Saudi Arabia do leave Arsenal in a tougher position as Madrid could use those offers to help set the player’s valuation moving forward - meaning the Gunners might need to turn to alternative targets.
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