Brazilian winger Rodrygo set an eye-opening new Real Madrid record during their 1-1 draw with Girona on Sunday night. The 24-year-old has long been viewed as an underrated cog in the Spanish giants’ machine, and the murmurs of his departure at the back end of last season drew interest from Premier League trio Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
In the end, he stayed put in the Spanish capital, which left many question marks around, firstly, why he wasn’t wanted by Xabi Alonso, and secondly, what caused his potential suitors to look elsewhere. Of course, the obvious answer would be their shared desire to win trophies for the biggest football club in the world.
But the real answers to those questions may only have surfaced this weekend, when Rodrygo set an unwanted new record at the club he has called home for six years. While the initial discontent in Madrid may have seemed unnecessary, a new statistic has now emerged that throws a spanner in the works, perhaps proving Real Madrid were right to sense his sale would be a timely decision.
Rodrygo Stoops to New Lows as Real Madrid Record Is Broken
Rodrygo
Rodrygo’s overall record at Real Madrid is no laughing matter, having scored 68 goals and provided 53 assists in 285 appearances across six trophy-laden seasons. But his current run has seen him fail to score in his last 30 matches - the latest no-show contributing to Alonso’s side dropping from first to second in the La Liga table and setting a new record for the longest goal drought by a forward in the club’s history.
Perhaps even more worrying is the fact that this season, while Kylian Mbappe and co. have been firing on all cylinders, Rodrygo has only managed two assists in 15 appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 217 minutes.
A Move to the Premier League Could Revive Rodrygo's Career
Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo
There are too many chefs in the kitchen at the Bernabeu, and this is probably the Brazilian’s biggest issue. While it’s easy to see the goal drought and automatically blame the winger for poor form, it shouldn’t be overlooked that he is constantly in and out of the side, struggling to get regular minutes in a position that Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Endrick, and Gonzalo Garcia can also occupy.
A move elsewhere - perhaps prompted by the aforementioned Premier League interest - could help him realise his potential as the main man in a different team. Man City keep spending on wingers who lack the cutting edge his overall record demonstrates, while Arsenal are lopsided, possessing only one consistent winger in Bukayo Saka.
Elsewhere, Liverpool are still in the market for a Luis Diaz replacement. Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may have initially seemed enough to bolster the forward line, but another winger would complete their business. Any of these three sides would guarantee better playing time, and would make perfect sense for Rodrygo.