Real Madrid has several important matters on the table before a new season begins. Xabi Alonso used the Club World Cup to take notes and closely follow the performance of several players who were in doubt. One of them has been Rodrygo Goes, who hasn't fully convinced him and is now on the way out. He doesn't fit into his plans and is on the radar of several top European clubs, including Liverpool, which is willing to do business.
Liverpool wants Rodrygo
At 24, Rodrygo is set to leave Real Madrid after not meeting the expectations that existed when he arrived. He was signed in 2019 from Santos for a fee of 45 million euros. So far, he has never managed to break out as expected, despite having left a good impression in the Champions League coming off the bench.
Xabi Alonso is clear after what he saw at the Club World Cup and has decided to put him on the way out. He has a contract until 2028 and has been given a price tag close to 100 million euros. Florentino is trying to move him around half of Europe.
So far, he has been linked to several major clubs, but it seems the one that's most serious is Liverpool. Arne Slot is willing to let Luis Díaz go, who has a significant offer from Bayern and wants to leave. To replace him, he has thought of the Brazilian, making him his priority for next season.
Unexpected swap in progress
Madrid-Barcelona has learned that Real Madrid is interested in negotiating with Liverpool for Rodrygo Goes. Both teams have overlapping interests that could be solved in a single operation.
While at Anfield they're desperate to sign the Brazilian forward, Real Madrid's priority for the remainder of the transfer window is to strengthen its defensive line with Ibrahima Konaté. The French defender is the center back chosen by the Basque coach to partner Dean Huijsen for the coming years.
There have been talks with Konaté himself, who is willing to leave Liverpool now or in a year, when his contract ends. In this regard, Florentino wants to solve both cases with an unprecedented swap deal in Europe, sending Rodrygo Goes to Anfield and the French defender to Bernabéu.
In any case, something Real Madrid has made clear is that this wouldn't be a simple swap. Rodrygo's value is higher than Ibrahima Konaté's, so Liverpool would have to pay extra. Everything is at a very early stage and, so far, there hasn't been any significant progress. But the important thing is that both entities view it favorably and the deal could move forward sooner rather than later.