Manchester City are keeping an eye on the situation of Rodrygo at Real Madrid.
The Manchester club have been busier than most of their Premier League rivals during the summer transfer window, but this week things kicked into life again at the Etihad Stadium.
Jack Grealish is set to join Everton on loan, while Nottingham Forest are closing in on James McAtee. The biggest shock has been the possibility of Savinho leaving Man City for Tottenham, but that exit could force Pep Guardiola to reenter the market for a winger.
Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is the man Guardiola wants, and talks have already taken place to see if a move for the Brazilian is possible.
Rodrygo before Real Madrid v Al Hilal at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Photo by Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images
Man City have started Rodrygo talks
Guardiola is a big fan of Rodrygo and feels that there is an opportunity to sign the winger this summer, as the 24-year-old is not a key part of Xabi Alonso’s plans at the Bernabeu ahead of the 25/26 campaign.
Fabrizio Romano has reported that talks have already taken place to see what it would take to get a deal for the winger done over the coming weeks, with Man City hoping to pay a lower fee than the €100m (£86m) being requested.
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“I want to confirm once again to you that Manchester City have a serious interest in Rodrygo,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“What I can tell you is that Manchester City have started some contacts to understand the situation of the player, to understand how is the feeling of Rodrygo, how is the feeling of his family, his agents, and also to understand Real Madrid.
“Real Madrid are open to letting Rodrygo go this summer, but they want an important transfer fee, something around €100m. Eventually, Man City hope they can maybe negotiate that price for Rodrygo. Let’s see what happens there.”
This would be a major deal for the Manchester club to get over the line, as it would be interesting to see how much the Brazilian would improve working under Guardiola and with more minutes throughout the season.
How Rodrygo compares to Man City’s other wingers
Heading into the new season, Rodrygo would certainly be an upgrade on Man City’s natural wingers in Jeremy Doku, Savinho, and Grealish, as the La Liga star outperformed them throughout the 2024/25 campaign, despite his struggles in Madrid.
The Brazilian is similar to Savinho in many ways, as he can play on both wings and is a strong dribbler, but it is fair to say the Real Madrid star does everything at a higher, more consistent level.
Player Games Goals Assists Minutes
Rodrygo 51 14 10 3360
Savinho 45 2 12 2787
Jeremy Doku 38 6 9 1986
Jack Grealish 32 3 5 1521
24/25 stats
There is a lot that needs to happen before Rodrygo is confirmed as a new Man City player, but the signs so far are good, and talks should accelerate if Savinho joins Tottenham.
The Real Madrid star would bring a fresh look to Guardiola’s attack, and if he joins, City cannot be ruled out of reclaiming their Premier League title.