Real Madrid News
Real Madrid custodian reacts to top midfield target joining Barcelona – “It’s his loss”
In the matter of weeks, Rodri once again became a villain at Real Madrid by opting to reject a move to Bernabeu to join rival Barcelona.
Rodri was already a controversial figure in Madrid after the 2024 Ballon d’Or saga. And now, his decision to join Barcelona despite close to a move to Real Madrid, has further irked the club and its supporters.
As far as the Real Madrid stars are concerned, though, they are not too obsessed about the fact that Rodri has joined Barcelona, as evident by Thibaut Courtois’ reaction recently.
Courtois on Rodri’s move
Speaking to the media after the narrow win over Espanyol, Courtois was asked about Rodri’s move to Barcelona.
In response, the Belgian international simply respected the midfielder’s choice but believes he made an unfortunate decision.
“Every player chooses the place he wants to be in. If he doesn’t want to be with us, that’s unfortunate for him,” he said (h/t The Touchline).
Rodri was close to joining Real Madrid earlier in the summer. But complications in negotiations opened up the door for Barcelona to swoop in, with the midfielder not hesitating in joining the Catalan outfit.
Real Madrid on the prowl
The botched move for Rodri understandably left Jose Mourinho frustrated and the new Real Madrid coach is keen on signing a new midfielder.
Unfortunately, with just about a week remaining in the summer transfer window, time and options are running out for Los Blancos.
The club have been linked with a move for Martin Zubimendi but his high valuation set by Arsenal means he is longer an option.
Another midfield target Adam Wharton is also set to stay at Crystal Palace, as confirmed by manager Pierre Sage recently.
That leaves Real Madrid with Kees Smit as the only possible option should the club grow desperate to bring in a new midfielder this summer.
Smit has shown a lot of potential and could be a cost-effective option for Los Blancos.
In what will come as a pleasing development for fans, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could make a comeback from his injury earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action since March after suffering an ACL injury during a La Liga game against Getafe.
Due to the complete rupture of the ACL, coupled with associated meniscus damage, it was suggested that the attacker was staring at a lengthy time out on the sidelines and might not return until 2027.
In fact, the forward’s father, Eric Goes, recently stated in an interview that the Real Madrid ace could be back in February next year, just before the business end of the campaign.
Rodrygo could be back in December
However, as per the update from Romano, Rodrygo’s comeback could happen well before that expected date.
Indeed, if things continue to progress at the current rate, the 25-year-old attacker might return to action in December or by January 2027 at the latest.
This will come as a welcome boost for Jose Mourinho & co., considering that Rodrygo is a valuable player for the team.
Even though he had endured a tough spell prior to his form, the Brazilian’s versatility, work rate off the ball, and eye for a goal make him an asset.
Rodrygo eager to be back at his best
The update from Romano further states that Rodrygo feels very grateful to Real Madrid for all the help and support they have given him during this difficult phase of his career.
As such, the Brazilian international has made it a mission to return to action in the best shape possible and make an impact from the get-go.
The attacker has only recently begun working on the pitch with the ball indicating the significant progress he has made on the road to recovery.
And, if there are no setbacks, Real Madrid could recover one of their ace attackers before the end of the current year.
So far in his career, Rodrygo has made 297 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals. He has a contract with the club until 2028.
