Arsenal’s injury crisis is hitting breaking point, and now a former Premier League star says the solution is simple: go get Rodrygo.
With the North London Derby against Spurs just days away, Robbie Savage has told Mikel Arteta to swoop for the Real Madrid forward, who’s been pushed to the sidelines by Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior.
Rodrygo has started only five of Madrid’s 11 league games this season, and Savage believes the 24-year-old is wasting his talent on the bench.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Savage didn’t hold back. “He’s the most gifted footballer at Real Madrid who isn’t playing regularly. Arsenal need someone like him, versatile, quick, and proven at the highest level.” For Savage, Rodrygo is exactly the injection of pace and creativity Arsenal desperately need.
And he may have a point. Arsenal are top of the Premier League, but their squad is falling apart fast.
Gabriel Magalhães is a major doubt for the derby after suffering a thigh injury with Brazil, joining a growing list of sidelined stars including Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, and Riccardo Calafiori.
Even Viktor Gyökeres is carrying a muscle niggle.
With Arteta’s depth evaporating, Rodrygo suddenly looks like the perfect fix, able to play anywhere across the front three and instantly raise the Gunners’ attacking threat alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
Transfer rumours are now in overdrive, with Arsenal reportedly weighing up a January move for the £100m-rated Brazilian, who’s tied to Madrid until 2028.
But with Madrid’s forward line overcrowded, whispers suggest they may be willing to cash in.
Savage says Arsenal shouldn’t hesitate: “If he’s available, go get him. He could be the difference in their title bid.”
After a £250m summer spend and a brutal run of injuries, Arteta knows January could make or break Arsenal’s season. And if Rodrygo becomes available?
It might just be the title-winning signing Arsenal cannot afford to miss.
