Liverpool 'enter Rodrygo battle with Arsenal' but transfer hinges on one exit

Liverpool are prepared to enter the race for Rodrygo, whose Real Madrid future appears incredibly uncertain, with Arsenal heavily linked with the Brazilian.

There is a new manager at the helm at the Bernabeu with Xabi Alonso replacing Carlo Ancelotti, who had previously put his faith in Rodrygo. The forward's game time has massively decreased and he has lost his starting spot over the summer.

Arsenal want to bolster their forward line, but are closing in on the signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea. It remains to be seen whether that would see their interest in Rodrygo cool, which could open the door for Liverpool if they needed to fill a hole in their squad.

RMC Sport reports that the Reds will consider making a move, but only if they end up losing Luis Diaz this summer. The Colombian continues to be linked with pastures new as Barcelona and Bayern Munich circle, but they want to retain the winger despite his contract winding down.

Diaz has two years left on his deal and has been open about his talks with those at Anfield, but so far no agreement has been found regarding his future. He told Colombian influencer Mauricio Gomez: "We’re there, negotiating. We’ll see what can be achieved, for us and for the club. We’ll try to do our best and make the best decision."

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Earlier this week Real were humbled 4-0 by PSG in the Club World Cup semi-finals and Rodrygo watched the match from the bench, where he sat for the fifth consecutive match. Los Blancos won't let him go on the cheap with UOL Esporte in Brazil claiming they want offers of around €100m (£86m) before they consider cashing in.

Real boss Alonso was quizzed on his decision to again leave out Rodrygo and said: "The fact that he didn't play again is a game-by-game decision. The way things were going, we needed another player. There haven't been any decisions about the future throughout this entire championship."

Diaz claimed at the end of the season that there was nothing unusual about him assessing his options as he considered his next move, but underlined his happiness at Anfield after proving how influential he can be with 17 goals in all competitions en route to the Premier League title.

He said: “We’re talking to clubs, it’s normal in the market and we’re looking at what’s best for us. I’m waiting to see what happens. I’m very happy at Liverpool, I’ve always said so. They’ve welcomed me very well from day one. If they give us a good renewal or I stay there for two years, I’ll be happy. Now it’s up to them.”

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