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Arsenal have made contact with Real Madrid over a potential move for Rodrygo, according to teamTALK, after their pursuit of Vinicius Junior went nowhere over the summer.
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Rodrygo has been sidelined since March with a serious knee injury but is reportedly targeting a return by December, ahead of the club’s own recovery timeline.
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Arsenal are still short of a left-sided attacking option after letting both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli leave in the summer, with only Christos Tzolis brought in as cover.
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Rodrygo’s contract runs until 2028, meaning next year could be one of Real Madrid’s last real chances to cash in on a player who has scored 71 goals and set up 57 more since joining from Santos in 2019.
September 16, (THEWILL) – Arsenal’s interest in raiding Real Madrid’s attack hasn’t gone away just because Vinicius Junior did. The Gunners have reportedly made contact with the Spanish giants over a potential move for Rodrygo, turning their attention to a player they rate as highly as the one who slipped through their fingers over the summer.
According to teamTALK, Arsenal remain “huge admirers” of the Brazilian and had him close to the top of their summer wishlist before a serious knee injury in March took him out of contention.
The timing explains a lot. Arsenal spent much of the transfer window in direct dialogue with Madrid over Vinicius, and also made tentative enquiries about Endrick, only to come away from the summer without the marquee attacking addition they wanted. Rodrygo, it’s understood, was never fully off the radar during that process; his injury simply pushed him further down the priority list rather than off it entirely.
A gap Arsenal still haven’t closed
The renewed interest fits the shape of Arsenal’s summer business, or lack of it in this specific area. The club let both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli leave, stripping depth from their forward line, and replaced them with only Christos Tzolis. That’s left a hole in exactly the kind of versatile, left-sided attacking option Arsenal have built their squad around under Mikel Arteta, and there’s no indication the club considers that gap filled heading into next year.
Rodrygo, comfortable operating across the front line and with the end product to back it up, matches the profile Arsenal were already chasing before Vinicius fell through.
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Rodrygo’s recovery is the deal’s real deadline
Everything hinges on fitness before it hinges on negotiation. Rodrygo hasn’t featured since March, but is reportedly confident of being back in action by December — ahead of the club’s own initial projection, which had pointed to early next year. Should he beat that internal timeline and prove his sharpness before the turn of the year, a January approach from Arsenal isn’t impossible, though a summer move remains the more realistic outcome given the size of any transfer fee and the risk of committing to a player still proving his fitness.
There’s also a financial pressure point working in Arsenal’s favour, even if it’s entirely out of their hands. Rodrygo’s contract at the Bernabéu runs until June 2028, meaning next year represents one of Real Madrid’s last genuine windows to secure a significant fee before his value starts sliding as the deal shortens.
Since arriving from Santos in 2019, Rodrygo has scored 71 goals and provided 57 assists for Los Blancos, the kind of output that would make him a major statement signing for Arsenal, provided his knee cooperates and Madrid are eventually willing to sell.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
