Arsenal transfer target Rodrygo has been left out of Real Madrid’s predicted first-choice XI for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Manu Carreño, a journalist for Spanish outlet Cadena SER, has shared his thoughts on how the La Liga club will line up under new boss Xabi Alonso.
Carreño did not name Rodrygo in his Real Madrid XI – with the Brazilian star having been linked with a potential switch to Arsenal this summer.
Rodrygo has huge admirers at the Emirates and the 24-year-old seemed set on forcing a move away from Real Madrid in the summer window.
Last month, reports suggested that Real Madrid would listen to offers of around £68m for the winger.
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The arrival of Alonso as head coach appears to have cooled things down, though, with Rodrygo now thought to be prepared to stay at the Bernabeu.
Rodrygo to lose his spot to Franco Mastantuono?
Carreño believes Franco Mastantuono will walk straight into the Real Madrid XI and replace Rodrygo on the right wing.
Madrid have reached an agreement to complete Mastantuono’s signing in August, after he features for current side River Plate at the Club World Cup.
‘Mastantuono will be a starter, he will come in to play a lot from the beginning,’ Carreño told El Larguero.
‘Possibly in a starting XI that will not be very different from this one in Xabi Alonso’s mind: [Thibaut] Courtois in goal, [Trent] Alexander-Arnold at right back.
‘Dean Huijsen with [Antonio] Rudiger or [Eder] Militao in the centre [of defence] and Álvaro Carreras on the left.
‘[Aurélien] Tchouameni, [Jude] Bellingham, [Federico] Valverde, Mastantuono, Vinicius [Junior] and [Kylian] Mbappe.’
Will Rodrygo stay at Real Madrid this summer?
It is believed that Rodrygo’s wage demands could price Arsenal out of a possible move this summer.
Arsenal have started to look at alternative transfer targets, including Newcastle United star Anthony Gordon.
Alonso has also publicly stated that Rodrygo won’t be leaving, saying: ‘Rodrygo is a Real Madrid player. Spectacular player and we will need him.’
These factors mean a transfer to Arsenal seems unlikely at this moment in time – but not impossible ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
