Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is eager for the club to sign Valencia and Spain forward as replacement for Karim Benzema should they fail in their pursuit of Robert Lewandowski.
Don Balon are stating that the Frenchman may have to try hard in order to persuade president Florentino Perez to keep ahold of the former Lyon frontman, and that he has highlighted Rodrigo as a possible replacement for the 30-year-old.
The news outlet are also stating that the club’s first plan of action to replace Benzema is Bayern forward Lewandowski, however they may end up moving for Rodrigo should the Polish forward stay in Germany.
Since securing a permanent move to Valencia from Benfica for €30M in the summer of 2015 (fee as per Goal), Rodrigo has proven to be a valiant signing for Los Che.
In total, the Spanish international has managed to clock up a total of 34 goals and 20 assists in 126 games for Valencia, a decent return.
This campaign, the 27-year-old has been in fine form, with the forward amassing a total of 16 goals and seven assists in 35 appearances, meaning he directly contributes to more than a goal every two games.
Should Real Madrid fail in their pursuit of Lewandowski, it’ll be interesting to see if they can manage to successfully swoop for Rodrigo to replace the ageing Benzema.