Real Madrid winger Rodrygo once had “a call” from Pep Guardiola about making a move to Manchester City, according to reports.
Spanish newspaper AS do not reveal when Guardiola made the approach, but it is not believed to have been this summer.
Rodrygo expressed his admiration for the Cityzens when Real knocked out Guardiola’s team in the Champions League back in 2023, and with the player now weighing up a move to the Premier League, it has been suggested that he would still be keen on making the switch to the Etihad.
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However, at the moment, it is thought that two other English clubs are leading the race for the Brazilian international’s signature.
Liverpool and Arsenal are in pole position
Rodrygo has not formally requested to leave the Bernabeu yet but the writing does appear to be on the wall, having started just one match at the Club World Cup.
New head coach Xabi Alonso uses a different system to previous manager Carlo Ancelotti and it means there are fewer opportunities for the 24-year-old.
AS report that Liverpool and Arsenal are the two likeliest teams to table bids for Rodrygo, but he won’t be available on the cheap, with his asking price set at around €100m (£87m).
Man City need to offload Grealish
Considering his longstanding interest in Rodrygo, you would think that Guardiola would be pressing to sign the forward, but after making substantial outlays over the last two transfer windows, the club need to balance the books.
Jack Grealish, who plays in Rodrygo’s favoured position on the left wing, is still on the market. If a buyer could be found for the England international, it would free up some space and funds that could be devoted to purchasing a replacement.
For the time being, though, the club do not seem to be actively pursuing Rodrygo, despite his apparent availability.
In other news, Man City have made a decision on Nico O’Reilly’s future