Real Madrid’s Rodrygo was a name high on Manchester City’s list this summer if the Premier League giants needed to replace Savinho at the club.
City’s transfer window looked set for a quiet ending after doing the majority of their business ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup; however, Tottenham’s pursuit of Savinho made the end of the market exciting.
In the end, Man City blocked Savinho from leaving the club as they felt that the Brazilian was too talented to let go after just one season.
Had Spurs somehow convinced their Premier League rivals to part ways with the winger, Pep Guardiola was keen to have Rodrygo at the Manchester club as a replacement.
The Brazilian has remained at Real Madrid beyond the summer transfer window, a club he is currently out of favour at, and Fabrizio Romano has shared how the 24-year-old really felt about moving to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
- READ MORE: Troy Deeney makes a ‘massive’ claim about Erling Haaland after Alexander Isak signs for Liverpool
Rodrygo never wanted to leave Real Madrid for Man City
The last few months have been tough for Rodrygo at Real Madrid as the Brazilian has barely played for the La Liga giants ever since Xabi Alonso arrived at the club.
This is why Man City thought they would have a chance of signing the winger if Savinho left, with the Manchester club even starting talks with Rodrygo.
Despite his situation, Fabrizio Romano has stated that Rodrygo never wanted to leave Real Madrid despite the strong interest from Man City.
“So Rodrygo is sending love messages to Real Madrid. Why? Because the story of Rodrygo this summer has been quite intense. The interest from Manchester City was very strong, very real, very concrete,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“Manchester City wanted to go for Rodrygo, but only in the case of the exit of Savinho. This was a financial decision. If Savinho went to Tottenham, in that case, Rodrygo would have a concrete chance to go to Manchester City.
“Man City never made an official bid to Real Madrid. So, it was always an internal conversation they had and Manchester City. But in all the internal conversations, the name mentioned by Pep Guardiola in case Man City was going to add one more player up front was Rodrygo.
“Rodrygo never opened the doors to an exit. So that deal of Rodrygo was a desire of Manchester City but never started as a concrete negotiation with the player who always confirmed his intention to be very happy at Real Madrid to compete at Real Madrid to try to convince Xabi Alonso and also the club.
“From what I heard, Real Madrid made clear to Intermediaries that to get Rodrygo, it was never going to be less than €100m and probably something around €120m.”
How Savinho compares to Rodrygo
Savinho and Rodrygo are very similar in their playing styles, as they are both direct dribblers who cause a lot of problems for defenders. Both players can be deployed on each wing, with the only major difference being their stronger foot.
Rodrygo also has more experience at the highest level than his countryman, but that will come with time for the Man City star.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Savinho | 48 | 3 | 13 | 3087 |
| Rodrygo | 54 | 14 | 11 | 3453 |
Man City fans were not too bothered about missing out on Rodrygo as they believe Savinho has the potential to be something special in the world of football, which is a belief Tottenham shared, hence why they were ready to spend so much money on the winger.
In the end, things probably worked out best for Man City, but bringing a name such as Rodrygo through the door would have given Guardiola’s squad a big boost.
