Shock Move: Real Madrid Could Give Up Major Star to Seal Liverpool Swap

,
Reports from Spain suggest that Real Madrid are open to a potential swap deal involving Rodrygo, with Xabi Alonso reportedly willing to make the move easier if it means landing one of Liverpool’s recent summer signings.

Rodrygo joined Madrid from Santos for £39 million and has since played more than 250 games during six successful years, collecting multiple trophies. Although he flourished under Carlo Ancelotti — winning three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues — his involvement has decreased since Xabi Alonso took over, leading to speculation about his future. Arsenal, Chelsea, and newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool were all linked with the winger during the summer window.

According to AS, Liverpool monitored Rodrygo’s situation but eventually prioritised other targets, such as Florian Wirtz. The Reds later signed Wirtz for £116 million, while Madrid stepped away from negotiations due to Bayer Leverkusen’s high demands, as reported by Defensa Central, despite the fact that Wirtz was keen to join the Spanish giants if the offer had been right.

With Wirtz experiencing a slow start to Premier League life, Madrid are now said to be considering a bold swap proposal involving Rodrygo. The report claims Xabi Alonso is very interested in bringing Wirtz to the Bernabéu and believes the midfielder could become an important long-term addition. However, the deal appears unlikely for now, as Liverpool are not expected to sell Wirtz so soon, no matter how much interest they may have in Rodrygo.

Rodrygo on Liverpool

Before moving to Real Madrid, Rodrygo almost signed for Liverpool in 2017 in a deal worth just £2.5 million. He later explained: “We didn’t finalise the deal because I chose not to. I wanted to stay at Santos, even though the offer was very good… it was my dream to play for Santos.”

He added: “It’s true that I was very close to joining Liverpool in 2017.”

Despite rejecting the move, Rodrygo has spoken positively about Liverpool and their supporters. Ahead of a Champions League match at Anfield in 2023, he acknowledged: “Playing at Liverpool is always difficult, with or without their fans.”