Which club should Rodrygo join if he leaves Real Madrid: Liverpool, Arsenal or someone else? | OneFootball

Rodrygo could be one of the biggest names on the move in January if his situation at Real Madrid becomes too frustrating – but if he’s bound for the Premier League next, where would be his best destination?

You don’t last six years at Real Madrid without having something about you, so Rodrygo would attract some major clubs if he became available. Liverpool have been looking closely at him as a new left-wing option, sources have confirmed, while reports in Spain claim he could be keen on a move to Arsenal. But which club should he join?

Rodrygo will turn 25 in January and if he leaves Real Madrid, he’ll be wanting to join a club that ticks all the boxes for him to spend the prime of his career at. It will need to be a big club competing for major honours, but also one where he’ll have a regular starting role, ideally in his preferred position on the left wing.

Real Madrid only really tick one of those boxes at the moment. With their stature, they are always on the hunt for silverware. But competition for places in the squad means Rodrygo has only started three LaLiga games this season, and while he has been able to play on the left more, he had to make do with playing on the opposite wing in many of his earlier seasons with the club.

Especially ahead of the World Cup, the Brazil international will be eager to make a name for himself. But where would he fit in best?

Our writers debate which club Rodrygo should join if he leaves Real Madrid in January. Will it be Liverpool, Arsenal or someone else?

James Holland

Rodrygo should pick Arsenal over Liverpool if he leaves Madrid in 2026 as there is a clearer route to the starting eleven at the Emirates.

Cody Gakpo is Liverpool’s first-choice left winger, while strikers Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike can also play there if needed.

Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze can all operate on the left for Arsenal, but there is a reason Mikel Arteta has been chasing a new wide man for over a year.

Martinelli is hugely frustrating in front of goal, Trossard is in the latter stages of his career, while Eze is better centrally. Rodrygo could form a deadly partnership with the likes of Eze, Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres, taking Arsenal another step closer to Premier League and Champions League glory.

Subhankar Mondal

Leaving Real Madrid for Liverpool or Arsenal would be a step down for Rodrygo, and he should not leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the January transfer window. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti will not exclude him from the squad for the 2026 World Cup finals next summer even if he struggles for playing time at Madrid between now and the end of the season, and there is also a chance that Xabi Alonso will be sacked, so a new manager at the Bernabeu could use Rodrygo more often.

However, if Rodrygo does decide to leave Madrid in the January transfer window, then he should try to do a loan deal rather than a permanent exit (although Madrid are not going to benefit much except save on his wages, but Los Blancos are not desperate to do that anyway).

Arsenal are the clear choice for Rodrygo. Liverpool are a mess right now, while the Gunners are flying. Rodrygo reportedly prefers to play as a left winger, and he would slot in ahead of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli in the team at Arsenal, not just for now, but for the long term as well. Rodrygo is a better and more exciting player, has far more experience playing at the elite level than both Trossard and Martinelli (285 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid!), and is still only 24.

James Marshment

Rodrygo’s career has taken a significant downturn in recent times, and he’s effectively been the main victim of their marquee 2024 signing of Kylian Mbappe. Faring even worse now and with dismal numbers to boot, he is very much the definition of a player in need of a change of scene.

But if you’re asking me whether he should go to either Liverpool or Arsenal, I’m going to suggest neither – and it’s because for the money we’re talking about, I don’t think he’d be either a success in the Premier League, nor an upgrade on what either Liverpool or Arsenal currently have.

Granted, the Premier League champions have questions over the form of Cody Gakpo this season – the most obvious player he could replace – but if I were Arne Slot or Richard Hughes, I’d be looking for a player in better form. It’s the same story at Arsenal.

That does leave Rodrygo with a dilemma, though, over where to go next and with few clubs in the world game capable of funding a move.

To that end, perhaps a switch to PSG would make the most sense. That said, with Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for company, he’d probably be leaping out of the frying pan and into the fire by making that move!

Graeme Bailey

Rodrygo is a fascinating option, especially if he is available on loan – as he may yet be.

Adding someone like him, who on is day is world class, would be a boost for any club.

If he comes to England, I think it might be a North London battle between Arsenal and Tottenham and I do wonder whether Spurs might just be the ones who can offer that football to him ahead of the World Cup finals. Could Liverpool and Man City get involved, possibly.

Samuel Bannister

On one hand, if he was to join Liverpool, Rodrygo would seem like an upgrade on Cody Gakpo on the left wing.

On the other hand, if he was to join Arsenal, he would have a bit more competition, but could still be seen as better than Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard.

The Arsenal route might also depend on how Mikel Arteta plans to use Eberechi Eze, as if he’s not playing centrally once Martin Odegaard is back to his best, the left wing could be his prime territory too.

With that in mind, Liverpool would give Rodrygo the clearest pathway. The fact he can play on the right-hand side as well may go some way to easing any headaches over how to replace Mohamed Salah in the long term.

Rodrygo could quite easily play on the opposite wing to Salah in a dream attack, or in his place on the right on the rare (for now) occasions when the Egyptian King needs time out of the team.