Xabi Alonso: Real Madrid boss says La Liga club need to keep 'spectacular player' Rodrygo amid Arsenal rumours
By Raj Mahil
Published 26/05/2025 at 18:48 GMT+1
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Amid reports linking Rodrygo with a summer transfer to Arsenal or Chelsea, Xabi Alonso has confirmed his desire to keep the player. Alonso was unveiled as the new Real Madrid manager on Monday, having left Bayer Leverkusen after delivering unprecedented glory for the Bundesliga club. Squad structure will be on Alonso's mind, in a huge summer of arrivals and departures in the Spanish capital.
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Xabi Alonso was formally presented as Real Madrid manager on Monday, with his first press conference seeing the topics of Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior unsurprisingly arise.
The superstar attacking trio, along with Jude Bellingham, have proven a conundrum for Madrid following the signing of Mbappe as a free agent last summer.
The French forward won the European Golden Shoe with a return of 31 goals in La Liga, but the balance of the team appeared off as Madrid fell short of their own high standards.
Indeed, Carlo Ancelotti's side were the reigning champions of both Spain and Europe, but this time around were outclassed by Barcelona in La Liga and embarrassed 5-1 on aggregate by Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Reports in recent weeks credited both Arsenal and Chelsea with an interest in Rodrygo, but it now appears the London giants won't be able to capitalise on any uncertainty.
Alonso left the Brazilian winger's future in no doubt: "He's a Madrid player and I will have a conversation with everyone because we need to do so.
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"We'll get to know each other. He's a spectacular player and we need him."
In addition to the managerial switch from Ancelotti to Alonso, Madrid are undergoing a transformation on the field this summer.
Luka Modric is leaving after a club-record haul of 28 trophies, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is widely reported to be joining Los Blancos, alongside Dean Huijsen.
In the current squad, Vinicius' status as Madrid's star man was another key issue this season, with set-piece duties, for example, now leaning towards Mbappe - as well as the pair often wanting to occupy a similar space on the pitch.
Alonso said on the duo: "It's incredibly fortunate to have players of that quality, among many others as well. They're two guys who make the difference and we have to get the very best out of them both.
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"If they give it their all, this will be a winning team. I have some ideas and there is still some time before I get to speak to them, but I'll work on it.
"Things work better when there's good connection and communication. They're top-level players and that's my job."
Bellingham was perhaps most dramatically affected by the Mbappe deal, having inspired Los Blancos to their double glory in 2023/24 by playing in a more advanced position.
Now in a deeper role, the England international saw his goal tally fall from 23 to 14 across all competitions, season-on-season.
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Alonso, who saw Bellingham up close as an opponent in Germany during the midfielder's time at Borussia Dortmund, refused to deliver a verdict on his best position.
The one-time World Cup and two-time European Championship winner said: "He can be special wherever he plays because he's a special player.
"He was at Dortmund when I arrived and he made a generational impact when he came to Real Madrid. He'll be a crucial player for us in the coming years.
"This is a great time to work with him and make sure he's a key part of what we want to do. We want him to use his potential in the most efficient way possible."
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