Xabi Alonso’s decisions are making Real Madrid star’s future obvious | OneFootball

Rodrygo was hoping for a fresh start when Xabi Alonso took over as Real Madrid manager. At first, things looked promising. The Brazilian forward got some chances early in the FIFA Club World Cup.

But as the tournament went on, he slipped out of the first-team picture completely. Alonso has made big changes to the squad, bringing in players like Arda Guler and academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia.

These two were not considered key under former manager Carlo Ancelotti, but they have changed how Madrid lines up and pushed Rodrygo down the pecking order.

Not discussing future

Even though Alonso has mentioned Rodrygo’s name a few times when asked about his plans, he has carefully avoided speaking about the player’s long-term future. That silence is telling.

Rodrygo did not play a single minute in Madrid’s last game against Juventus. This is now the second time in four matches he has not set foot on the pitch.

Rodrygo did not play a single minute against Juventus. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

He started the tournament against Al Hilal and played 65 minutes, was left on the bench against Pachuca, came on briefly when Madrid were already winning 2-0 against Salzburg, and then missed out completely against Juventus.

Alonso’s choices send a message

What stands out most is Alonso’s decision not to use Rodrygo even when Vinicius Jr. was clearly exhausted and struggling near the end of the game against Juventus.

Instead, the coach chose to replace Gonzalo with Mbappe to try to secure the narrow 1-0 win. These choices show that Alonso doesn’t see Rodrygo as important right now.

It is also important to remember that Franco Mastantuono is set to join Madrid soon. His arrival will make competition for attacking spots even tougher.

Rodrygo has already felt uneasy about his place at the club for over a year, even when Ancelotti trusted him more.

Meanwhile, his open interest in moving to the Premier League has not gone down well at Real Madrid. The club is now ready to let him leave if a good offer comes in, which could help them reinvest in other areas of the squad.