Xabi Alonso has offered a clear update over Rodrygo Goes' future at Real Madrid.
Xabi Alonso's two-word update 'ends' Rodrygo to Man City link originally appeared on The Sporting News
Real Madrid kicked off their 2025/26 La Liga season with a 1-0 home win over Osasuna.
Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty was enough to secure victory for Xabi Alonso on his Estadio Santiago Bernabeu bow as a new era dawns in Madrid.
Alonso has bolstered his defence over the summer with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras all starting against Osasuna and 18-year-old midfielder Franco Mastantuono was introduced off the bench.
With the transfer window fast approaching on September 1, Alonso has indicated he's not looking to bring in more new faces, and the exit door may also be closed.
Rodrygo Goes has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City amid rumours he is not in Alonso's starting XI plans.
Despite leaving his No.11 on the bench against Osasuna, with Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz both starting, Alonso was firm in his pledge to keep the former Santos star in his ranks.
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"Nothing's happening [with an exit]. The Club World Cup was a different context, it's now behind us," as per Marca.
"I'm counting on him this season, Osasuna was a one-off game. If he's still getting these amount of minutes in three months, it'll be a different story."
Will Rodrygo play at Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid?
Alonso's post-match comments indicate the answer is yes, but Real Madrid fans remain unconvinced, and the situation could be revived in 2026.
The 'three months' remark opens up January as a possible exit point, but the immediate picture hints at a return in some form, as Alonso looks to mould his new team.
The former midfielder is expected to stick with a 4-3-3 system, but injuries Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga have hampered his preseason plans, with Guler and Diaz filling in.
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Guler started in midfield, alongside Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, with Diaz in Rodrygo's attacking right-sided spot, paired up with Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
Part of Alonso's thinking is bringing in more defensive industry to his attack, to counter Mbappe and Vinicius' lack of, but that still points at Rodrygo staying on the bench.
Just 22 starts in La Liga under Carlo Ancelotti last season underlines his drift and Alonso started him in just one of the six FIFA Club World Cup games earlier this summer.
With his contract running until 2028, his €70m [$82m] transfer value is unlikely to dip drastically by not playing, but Alonso appears undecided despite his show of faith in the 24-year-old.
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