The match against Al Hilal in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup was the first time Rodrygo appeared in the Real Madrid squad since April 26. He had 1 assist and left a round performance, not too outstanding.
During the nearly 2 months between those 2 official appearances, there were many rumors surrounding the future of the Brazilian star. Potential destinations have appeared as a lifeline for Rodrygo when he is no longer of great interest at Real Madrid.
After starting Al Hilal, Rodrygo was not even put on the field in the subsequent win over Pachuca. Once again, rumors about this striker have appeared, which could signal a farewell.
The rift between Rodrygo and Real Madrid started before last season's Copa Del Rey final. The Brazilian star said at that time that he was not healthy enough to compete, so his coach Carlo Ancelotti removed his name. Around that event, the Brazilian striker was constantly criticized for lacking effort in training, leaving a mark on the training ground. However, Rodrygo has repeatedly denied this.
When Ancelotti took charge of the Brazilian national team, Rodrygo was also not called up to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers last month, with 2 matches against Ecuador and Paraguay.
During the training sessions in the final stages of La Liga last season, Rodrygo was sometimes unable to complete due to illness or lack of fitness. At that time, Ancelotti himself posted a video sharing about his student's condition. As for the 24-year-old striker, he once shared a status on his personal page, hoping that fans would not speculate about the disaster anymore.
In the past, Rodrygo's father, who is also his representative, shared that some Premier League clubs have been interested in his son. Notable among them is Arsenal, who are in dire need of a striker like Rodrygo, who can play on the left wing and play freely.
Arsenal's view is quite positive, but the English side also only gave Rodrygo a certain amount of time to think. Otherwise, The Gunners will switch to Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) in the context of Gabriel Martinelli possibly leaving the team to join Bayern Munich.
On the day Xabi Alonso debuted for Real Madrid, the Spaniard said he had not had any talks with Rodrygo. During the days Alonso first arrived, Rodrygo was noted to have a more active training attitude. Alonso paid special attention to Rodrygo on the training ground and asked the 24-year-old striker to do many things.
After the first day of working with Alonso, Rodrygo posted a status with the content "Happiness" on his personal page in Spanish. However, the future of any striker is still unclear, needing more signals before the new season to ensure whether he will still wear the Real Madrid shirt in the following season or not.
