"Just leave bro", "Yeah its over for him" - Fans believe Real Madrid star will leave the club as he's left out of XI to face Osasuna

Real Madrid fans believe that Rodrygo's time at the club is nearing an end after the Brazilian was named on the bench for the side's La Liga opener against Osasuna. The two clubs are set to lock horns at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, August 19.

Manager Xabi Alonso has named a strong starting XI for his league debut as Los Blancos' manager. The lineup sees Thibaut Courtois man the goalpost, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, and Alex Carreras have all been handed their league debut in defence alongside Eder Militao.

Federico Valverde will lead Real Madrid wearing the captain's armband, and is partnered in the midfield by Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler. The front three comprises Brahim Diaz, Vinicius Jr, and Kylian Mbappe.

Amid speculations surrounding his future, Rodrygo has been named on the bench by Alonso. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, attracting strong interest from multiple Premier League sides.

Rodrygo was also sparingly deployed by Alonso during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, managing just 93 minutes of action in three appearances at the competition. Fans have reckoned that his omission from the starting XI to face Osasuna is an indication that his time at the club is over.

"Rodrygo just leave bro," a fan wrote on X.

"Yeah It's over for Rodrygo," another fan commented.

"What did Rodrygo do to Xabi man?" another fan questioned.

"I am very sad about Rodrygo," one fan tweeted.

"Rodrygo is benched for the 7th game in a row," Madrid Universal on X pointed out.

Rodrygo joined Real Madrid in 2019 from his boyhood club Santos. He has since amassed 270 appearances for the Spanish giants, registering 68 goals and 51 assists.

Premier League giants want to sign Real Madrid star Rodrygo on loan - Reports

Premier League side Arsenal are still interested in a summer swoop for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, according to TBR Football. The Brazilian star has fallen down the pecking order in Xabi Alonso's setup and has been heavily linked with an exit from the club this summer.

The Gunners were one of the top European clubs that initially showed interest in signing the 24-year-old months ago. However, Mikel Arteta's side seemed to pull out of the race, focusing instead on bringing in other attacking options.

They have since recruited Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke from Sporting CP and Chelsea, respectively. However, TBR Football reports that the Gunners are still keen on bolstering their attacking department and are considering a loan deal for Rodrygo.

However, they would have to face competition from league rivals Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's side are reportedly interested in Rodrygo and could make a move for him should Savinho depart the club for Tottenham Hotspur.

About the author

Okenna is an football journalist at Sportskeeda. He has previously worked as a radio presenter at Green FM Umuahia for 4 years, and as a writer at Opera News Hub Nigeria for around 2 years. As a successful modus operandi, he strictly sticks to publishing guidelines, double checks facts while writing, pays very close attention to details and prides himself on picking complex topics to write on.

A Chelsea fan, Okenna had his first tryst with Blues in 2006, after fellow countryman John Mikel Obi joined the west London club. He was immediately drawn to the brilliance of players like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Didier Drogba.

Okenna is a huge fan of Lionel Messi for his exceptional talent. He also admires Jose Mourinho for his achievements with various clubs which proves he's a tactical and disciplined manger as well as a serial winner.

Some of Okenna’s prospective career landmarks include working as an international journalist and covering a FIFA World Cup game live from the stadium. When not writing, he loves watching, movies and reading books.

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Edited by Okenna Okere