Chelsea have submitted a formal £61m offer to sign Real Madrid winger Rodrygo next summer, according to Fichajes.
Despite being a first-team regular last season, Rodrygo has found opportunities harder to come by, with former manager Xabi Alonso favouring a front pairing of Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé.
His reduced minutes coincided with a dip in form and a prolonged goal drought. Before Alonso’s departure, Rodrygo endured a 32-game run without scoring, eventually ending it against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League — his fifth goal in nine appearances against a Pep Guardiola side.
Since then, he has contributed two further goals and six assists in all competitions for the Spanish giants.
However, like Alonso, interim boss Álvaro Arbeloa has continued to prioritise Vinícius and Mbappé in attack, fuelling fresh speculation over Rodrygo’s standing within the squad.
Amid interest from several clubs, it appears Chelsea are looking to steal a march on other rivals, as Fichajes claims that the London giants have submitted a formal £61m offer to Madrid for the possible transfer of Rodrygo to Stamford Bridge.
‘Priority’ target
The report adds that Liam Rosenior requested a move for the 25-year-old as a ‘priority’ to bolster his attack and approved the Blues’ bid for the winger.
In a boost to Chelsea, Fichajes reports that while Madrid were not expecting a concrete offer for the Brazilian at this stage of the campaign, his current situation at the club has made them reconsider their stance on his potential departure.
Rosenior suffered his first Premier League defeat on Sunday as Jurriën Timber’s second-half header secured a 2-1 victory for Arsenal.
The decisive goal once again came from a set piece, and matters worsened for the Blues soon after when Pedro Neto was dismissed for two quickfire yellow cards following Timber’s strike.
Regarding Neto, eagle-eyed Chelsea fans were quick to note that the Portuguese international had removed Chelsea from his Instagram bio, leading to swirling rumours about his potential exit in the summer.
As a result, Rodrygo would not just be an instant replacement but an upgrade on the former Wolves man should a move to Stamford Bridge be completed.
