Liverpool supporters have been rocked by the recent revelations that Michael Edwards and co expect Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso to stay put this summer, though fears of disaster have been allayed by the club's anticipation of this, mapping out solid alternative plans.
The second-placed Premier League side will see Jurgen Klopp step down from his duties at the end of the campaign, and while Michael Edwards has returned as FSG's new CEO of Football and Richard Hughes has been appointed as Anfield's sporting director, there's much to sort out.
Chiefly, key trio Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, with the latter probably the most likely to depart.
Last summer, Salah was at the centre of a £150m proposal from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, rejected, and aged 31, he might feel that Klopp's exit signals the right time to try something new.
Liverpool's summer transfer targets
Should Salah depart, an eventuality inconceivable in itself, Liverpool would need to identify and secure a worthy successor, with Spanish sources – via Football365 – revealing that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo is on the list.
Actually, the versatile Brazilian has already been the subject of an incredible £68m bid from Liverpool, if the report is to be believed, having previously seen a £51m offer flat-out rejected.
This might seem like an unlikely move on the surface but all the pointers suggest Los Blancos will finally land Kylian Mbappe this summer, with teenage prodigy Endrick also arriving.
Rodrygo, candidly, might not find a place in the project.
Rodrygo's season in numbers
Real Madrid signed Rodrygo when he was just 17 years old for €45m (£40m), the talented teenager joining from Brazilian side Santos, with legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Juventus in an £88m deal that same window.
Now aged 23, he's amassed 206 appearances for the La Liga table-toppers, scoring 50 goals and supplying 40 assists, with his dynamic performances leading to praise concerning his striking ability, journalist Sam Tighe remarking earlier in the campaign: "Rodrygo’s finishing levels are straight up terrifyingly good."
He's certainly taken great strides in his development as the years have gone by, now combining his natural fleet-footedness and athleticism with polished and sharpened quality in the final third.
23/24
41
34
13
8
22/23
57
41
19
11
21/22
49
25
9
10
20/21
33
13
2
8
19/20
26
16
7
3
In the Spanish top-flight this season, as per Sofascore, Rodrygo has scored eight goals and added five assists across 24 starting appearances, completing 90% of his passes and averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game.
He might have suffered a slight regression in output from the dizzying heights of the 2022/23 term, but there's no question that Rodrygo has grown into his skin wonderfully and has everything he needs to succeed in the Premier League at an outfit like Liverpool.
Rodrygo's style of play
While Rodrygo has principally played as a centre-forward for Real Madrid this season, he has found success across both flanks throughout his Spanish career, namely the right.
As per FBref, Rodrygo ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for interceptions per 90, with his qualities drawing comparisons to some top-class talents.
1.
Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal
2.
Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid
3.
Cody Gakpo
Liverpool
4.
Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain
5.
Heung-min Son
Tottenham Hotspur
Veteran Real duo Dani Carvajal and Nacho Fernandez heralded Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo as the club's "magical" duo, and given the likeness between the pair it might be worth Liverpool investing in the latter, with Vinicius Jr. considered one of the world's foremost forwards.
Liverpool have actually been linked with Vinicius Jr. on several occasions in the past, with Spanish reports earlier this season suggesting that those aforementioned Salah and Mbappe transfer facets could have come into play, leaving Liverpool keen to swoop in for the Real Madrid maverick.
It didn't happen, of course, and it's unlikely that Madrid's number seven will be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu any time soon despite the incessant racial discrimination he has battled against, taking the bold and admirable stance to tackle it head-on, and not give in.
From a footballing standpoint, the 23-year-old is a revelation, having plundered 63 goals and 49 goals for Real Madrid since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
Similarly versatile to Rodrygo, he ranks among the top 17% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, praised as "the best player in the world" by his manager Carlo Ancelotti.
While the £205k-per-week Rodrygo has never been considered Real's main man, he is undoubtedly a top-class forward and would be a credit to Liverpool's attack, boasting pace and a protean skill set that would make him the perfect foil for a number of players.
Liverpool have their very own Endrick brewing in "special" teen talent
This rising star might even prove to be a bigger talent than Harvey Elliott.
ByAngus Sinclair Mar 29, 2024
Of course, his arrival would likely mean a player has to leave, but if, for example, Salah has entered the final few months of a sensational career on Merseyside, Rodrygo might just be the perfect player to take the baton and spearhead a new era.