Manchester City are at the front of the queue to lure Rodrygo to the Premier League as the Real Madrid star is being eyed by influential figures at the Etihad Stadium despite Arsenal making an approach to sign him during the summer transfer window, according to CaughtOffside.
Sky Blues head coach Pep Guardiola bolstered his goalkeeping options in the final moments of deadline day, with Gianluigi Donnarumma sealing a £26million switch from Paris Saint-Germain, but he is already aiming to secure further firepower when the next opportunity arises and could go head-to-head with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
Sky Blues at Front of Queue to Land Rodrygo
Rodrygo in action for Real Madrid
Manchester City are now the frontrunners to sign Rodrygo even though Arsenal made the most serious approach to recruit him a matter of weeks ago, according to CaughtOffside, and they are prepared to explore a deal in January after Real Madrid have shown a willingness to entertain offers in the region of £70million.
The wide forward, who has been described as a 'superstar' by former Bernabeu teammate Luka Modric, decided to stay in his current surroundings instead of embarking on a fresh challenge ahead of last week's deadline and has planned to reassess his future as the winter transfer window approaches.
CaughtOffside report that Guardiola is a long-term admirer of Rodrygo, who has a release clause worth in excess of £860million written into his Real Madrid contract, but he is only ready to up the ante in his pursuit after already seeing Arsenal hold discussions over his availability during the summer.
Although first-choice striker Erling Haaland is at the top of the Sky Blues' wage bill, having been tied down to a more lucrative deal earlier this year, it has been acknowledged that the Brazil international would be seeking a significant pay package in order to walk away from Los Blancos in the coming months.
Manchester City are confident that Rodrygo is a perfect fit and is capable of becoming a key man in the fluid attacking system used at the Etihad Stadium, CaughtOffside claim, leading to them threatening to reignite their interest after initially choosing not to make a bid when it was decided that Savinho would not be sold to Tottenham Hotspur.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 09/09/2025
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