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Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva (Picture: Getty)
Gilberto Silva has urged Arsenal to reignite their transfer interest in Rodrygo as the Real Madrid forward continues to struggle for minutes under Xabi Alonso.
The Brazil international was heavily linked with an exit from Real over the summer, but opted to stay at the Bernabeu after talks with new boss Alonso.
Arsenal and Chelsea were among the clubs linked with the versatile forward, while Manchester City were also said to have considered a move had they sold Savinho to Tottenham.
Despite opting to stay in Spain over the summer, Rodrygo has found regular minutes hard to come by, starting just two of Real’s first 12 La Liga games so far this season.
That lack of game time has reignited speculation surrounding Rodrygo’s long-term future at Real, with reports in Brazil crediting Chelsea with interest in a deal for the the 24-year-old.
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And former Arsenal midfielder Silva believes the Gunners should reignite their own interest in Rodrygo, who would likely still cost around €80million (£70m).
‘I know him and we’ve met a couple of times, but I don’t know his situation with Arsenal,’ Silva told talkSPORT.
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Rodrygo has been linked with an exit from Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)
‘At the beginning of the season, I thought it would be fantastic to have Rodrygo at the club.
‘It is clear he will not have much of an opportunity to play under Xabi Alonso at Madrid, but he’s a great player with real talent, which is a waste if he is on the bench – but obviously there is big competition at Arsenal as well.
‘He’s got the ability to perform not only from the left side but in other positions across the forward line as well.
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The Brazilian has started just two league games under Xabi Alonso this season (Picture: Getty)
‘Should Arsenal go in for him? Why not. If he’s not happy and there is an opportunity to increase the strength of the squad, then we can try and get him.’
Silva, though, questioned whether Arsenal’s supreme depth in wide areas might make a move to the Emirates less appealing for Rodrygo.
Mikel Arteta’s side added Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke over the summer, while Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard stayed at the clubs despite both being linked with exits.
‘The only question is, where would he fit?’ Silva noted. ‘Maybe a few years ago, it would have been much easier to find a good player to fit that Arsenal squad.
‘However, nowadays, even if you are a good player, it’s not so easy to find a starting place in this current team.’
Speaking after the summer window, Rodryo insisted that he never felt any great desire to leave the club despite heavy speculation linking him with an exit.
‘Every summer, the same thing happens to me. Whether I’m going to leave or whether I have offers from this club or that,’ he told the Spanish publication AS.
‘Every week, I was in a team if I paid attention to what was published. Of course, there are always offers; I’m not going to lie about that.
‘But I always made it clear to the club that I want to continue succeeding here, even more than I already have. It’s a lot to have won two Champions Leagues at my age, but now I want more European Cups in this shirt.
‘I’ve always said: ‘As long as Real Madrid wants me, I’ll be here.’ If one day Real Madrid says to me: ‘Rodry, find a team,’ I’ll say ‘OK.’ But that hasn’t happened. The club has always told me they count on me.
‘And when I had a problem, they were there for me. People speculated because I kept quiet. But I knew what I was going to do this season with Real Madrid and that I’m going to be focused on giving my best. It hasn’t bothered me. I was calm, and here I am… as always. This is my seventh season.’
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