Rodrygo Deal Heating Up As Game Time Eludes Brazilian Under Xabi Alonso

With the Club World Cup now over, there have been plenty of talking points - both good and bad - both on and off the pitch. Some people have enjoyed the tournament, some people haven’t, and some people have simply refused to watch.  

Nevertheless, the tournament has left us with plenty to talk about. One of the biggest points of discussion has been Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and his game time. Or lack there of.  

The 24-year old started the Spanish side’s opener against Al-Hilal an even assisted Gonzalo’s Garcia goal in the 1-1 draw.

However, he has not started a game since – coming off the bench twice, and being an unused sub three times. He totalled just 91 minutes across their six games, including the Al-Hilal game which provided over half of those minutes.

Despite the signing of Kylian Mbappe from PSG last summer, Rodrygo still got a fair amount of game time when he was fit, having the right-wing spot locked down in the most part under Carlo Ancelotti.  

However, in Real’s second game against Pachuca, Xabi Alonso went with Federico Valverde and Arda Guler interchanging as the right-sided central midfielder and the right-winger, a dynamic that worked very well. While this wasn't necessarily Rodrygo's fault, it certainly didn't help his case for getting more minutes under his new manager.

In the two games that followed, Alonso went with a 3-5-2 set up, with Garcia and Vinicius playing as the two strikers. In the quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund, a diamond formation was deployed, with the front two once again being Garcia and Vinicius.  

To add to Rodrygo’s concern, Mbappe recovered from illness and came off the bench in two games, before starting the semi-final defeat to his former club PSG, where he played the 90 minutes as Rodrygo once again looked on from the bench.

Even if the winger is able to get his way back into the starting XI under Alonso, it feels very unlikely it would be anywhere other than the right-hand side. Many people suggest he is better off the left, where he played for Santos, doing well enough there to be signed by Real.  

There is no doubting the player’s love for the Spanish giants, but it is clear that the best thing for his career is to move on. There are a number of top clubs who could give him a starting spot on their left hand side.  

He could go to Arsenal and complete the front three with Viktor Gyökeres and Bukayo Saka. He would have a number of compatriots there to help him settle too, with fellow winger Gabriel Martinelli and centre-back Gabriel Maghalles mainstays in the Arsenal team.

He could complete a deadly front line with Harry Kane and Michael Olise at Bayern Munich, especially now that the German giants are without legendary forward Thomas Muller. There are a number of options for him.  

Furthermore, in a World Cup year, this season is even more crucial for Rodrygo. Despite not having the best numbers for the national team, you would imagine Vinicius is going to start, and Raphinha has just had the best season of his career. 

Being a player that knows Ancelotti won’t do any harm, but you feel like he needs to earn a starting spot next summer, and that's unlikely to happen if we spends most of the Summer on Real Madrid's bench.

Sooner or later, the penny will drop that a move is his best chance of doing exactly that. It is unquestionably the best thing for his career – but will he leave the club he has spent so many years at? Let’s see.