-
News
- 3 hours ago
Why Rodrygo WILL win Arsenal the Premier League
Analysis
Arsenal could be about to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid.
With Xabi Alonso in charge at Real Madrid, it's clear that Rodrygo doesn't factor into his plans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Brazilian has barely featured so far in the Club World Cup and was already barely used during the latter days of Carlo Ancelotti's reign as well.
Current ETV
Rodrygo
F (CR), M (R)
Real Madrid
Rodrygo
F (CR), M (R)
Real Madrid
ETV Range
€88.3M - €107.9M
Now The Athletic are reporting that Real Madrid won't stop him from seeking a transfer, which means that if he wants to move then he'll have to find a club willing to pay a premium (Real Madrid never sell for cheap, even when they don't want you).
Arsenal are likely to be that club.
And whatever it costs the Gunners, even if it's north of €90 million, it would absolutely be worth it. Great players are always cheap when they perform, and Rodrygo would surely perform in North London.
And by perform, we're talking about firing Arsenal to win the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.
Rodrygo: misused in Madrid?
People will point to his goalscoring tally for Madrid, 68 strikes in 269 games, as if that's proof he's not got what it takes to lift Arsenal to the next level.
But first, it must be recalled that he joined Madrid, the biggest club in the world, as a precocious 18-year-old fresh from Brazil.
Then you have to recall that Madrid didn't sign him with a sporting plan in mind. They only got him because he was one of the most highly valued teen talents in the country, and Florentino Perez was desperate to secure "the next Neymar" having lost actual Neymar to Barcelona.
Thirdly, realise that for almost none of his Real Madrid career has Rodrygo even played in his favourite positions.
Rodrygo is a 10, or a second striker, who also likes to operate from the left. But Vini Jr. also plays in all of those spaces (no sporting plan, remember?) and was a year Rodrygo's senior and in possession of an athletic superpower so dramatic (his pace) even when the kid was rubbish, he was still dangerous to opponents.
So Rodrygo has always had to try and get it where he could, usually on the right. He's not a right-winger at all.
Yet and still, he's made himself into a top-class player from that right flank. Whenever he's gotten into the box, goals have followed.
And that is the main reason Rodrygo will lift Arsenal to the Premier League title.
Stick him in his preferred position of left-wing, with the creative powers of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka now feeding him. With the selfless work of Kai Havertz now benefiting him. Where he doesn't have to run for others, but others will run for him?
On his very first day, he'll be Arsenal's secondary goalscoring threat behind Saka, and within a month or so, they'll have realised he's a superior finisher and he will be Arsenal's main goalscorer.
Yes, he's underperformed his xG in two of the last three seasons, but consider that this is largely a product of playing out of position and being asked to do so much work off the ball to benefit Vini, Jude Bellingham and now Kylian Mbappe.
At Arsenal, he would become the squad superstar (next to Saka). Put the No.10 shirt on Rodrygo's back and watch him levitate like the true Brazilian he is. The world isn't ready, honestly. We'll finally see what he's capable of when he gets the focus.
The New Ozil
Rodrygo's impact when joining Arsenal will be a lot like Mesut Ozil's was when he joined. It'll probably be even better, really.
Mesut Ozil was unwanted by Real Madrid, so they discarded him to Arsenal. He was still world-class and played at that level for the Gunners. The German would have guided Arsenal to a title; all he lacked was enough teammates of a similar skill level.
Rodrygo will not have that problem. Arsenal as a team are primed to challenge for the Premier League; they've done it for the last three seasons! Well, two of the last three - they didn't really challenge Liverpool last term.
At crucial moments in each failed title challenge, Arsenal's defensive juggernaut has simply not been dangerous enough in open play.
Is that because they don't create enough shots? Yes. But that's also because they don't convert those shots into goals. Kai Havertz will never be a killer as long as he lives. The same can be said of Martin Odegaard. They are great creators but lack the goalscoring edge.
Saka has that edge, but he can't be expected to create and score. Not for an entire season. More has been expected of Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian has never recaptured the blazing promise he showed in 2022/23 when he scored 15 times in the league.
Put Rodrygo in Martinelli's place? He's booming. Not as quick in the open field, for sure, but far deadlier in the box. Just look at all the big teams Rodrygo has dusted in the Champions League, particularly from the Premier League.
This is a man who knows how to score goals and perform on the biggest of stages. Nothing will faze him. He was part of that Madrid team that won 5-2 at Anfield!
Arsenal way overshot their xG last season. Where Liverpool scored 85 goals from an xG of 82.2 and Man City scored 71 goals from an xG of 68.1, Arsenal bagged 67 goals from a paltry 59.9 xG. That's the 7th highest in the division and was closer to Spurs (58.8) than the title contenders.
And yes, part of that is the creative prowess of the side. But part of the creative prowess of a side is a function of how reliable their goalscorers are. If they need to work intricate patterns to ensure their scorers can't miss shots, then every attack becomes a jigsaw.
But when you can play your attackers simple passes and you know that the second they get half a chance, they're shooting, and there's a high likelihood their shot will carry real threat with it? Your options as a passer are drastically improved.
Moreover, the Rodrygo signing opens up the chance for Mikel Arteta to play Gabriel Martinelli in his actual position (striker!), which could be what he needs to get him going again. Imagine Arsenal get Rodrygo's goals and vision, plus Martinelli starts scoring from striker as well?
Looking at it this way, there is a good argument to be made that the Blancos man would be a more transformative signing for Arsenal than a big-name No.9 like Viktor Gyokeres.
Not to mention, Arsenal have had no Club World Cup to deal with, so a proper summer of rest for their exhausted squad should see them all ready to rock and roll.
Rodrygo is an outcast at Real Madrid, but he can be a hero at Arsenal and absolutely use his goalscoring firepower to blast the Gunners to Premier League glory.
Football transfer news headlines today
DONE DEALS: Every official completed transfer around Europe today
Victor Osimhen Transfer News Today: Man Utd’s MAGNETISM revealed as signing talks confirmed
CONFIRMED: Gyokeres splits with girlfriend over Arsenal transfer
Mosquera delivers Arsenal transfer verdict with INSTANT decision
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
