Gilberto Silva urges Arsenal to reignite transfer interest in ‘fantastic’ £70m star | Football

Gilberto Silva has urged Arsenal to reignite their transfer interest in Rodrygo as the Real Madrid forward continues to struggle for minutes under Xabi Alonso.

The Brazil international was heavily linked with an exit from Real over the summer, but opted to stay at the Bernabeu after talks with new boss Alonso.

Arsenal and Chelsea were among the clubs linked with the versatile forward, while Manchester City were also said to have considered a move had they sold Savinho to Tottenham.

Despite opting to stay in Spain over the summer, Rodrygo has found regular minutes hard to come by, starting just two of Real’s first 12 La Liga games so far this season.

That lack of game time has reignited speculation surrounding Rodrygo’s long-term future at Real, with reports in Brazil crediting Chelsea with interest in a deal for the the 24-year-old.

And former Arsenal midfielder Silva believes the Gunners should reignite their own interest in Rodrygo, who would likely still cost around €80million (£70m).

‘I know him and we’ve met a couple of times, but I don’t know his situation with Arsenal,’ Silva told talkSPORT.

‘At the beginning of the season, I thought it would be fantastic to have Rodrygo at the club.

‘It is clear he will not have much of an opportunity to play under Xabi Alonso at Madrid, but he’s a great player with real talent, which is a waste if he is on the bench – but obviously there is big competition at Arsenal as well.

‘He’s got the ability to perform not only from the left side but in other positions across the forward line as well.

‘Should Arsenal go in for him? Why not. If he’s not happy and there is an opportunity to increase the strength of the squad, then we can try and get him.’

Silva, though, questioned whether Arsenal’s supreme depth in wide areas might make a move to the Emirates less appealing for Rodrygo.

Mikel Arteta’s side added Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke over the summer, while Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard stayed at the clubs despite both being linked with exits.

‘The only question is, where would he fit?’ Silva noted. ‘Maybe a few years ago, it would have been much easier to find a good player to fit that Arsenal squad.