Santos demand €50m for Real Madrid target Rodrygo

Brazilian club Santos have made it clear no agreement has been reached with Real Madrid for 17-year-old forward Rodrygo.

Reports in Spain on Thursday claimed a deal worth €45million had been reached for the highly rated attacker, who has also been linked with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but his club have hit back.

Santos president Jose Carlos Peres is adamant that any side keen on landing Rodrygo will need to pay the full €50m release clause for the teenager, though it has also been reported that the club are keen for him to sign a new deal that would double that figure.

“There is no agreement for Rodrygo with Real Madrid,” Peres told reporters.

“Paying €40m won’t do anything. That is the line we have drawn. His clause is €50m.

“We have several proposals on the table. Every day some outlet claims the deal is done; [with] Paris Saint-Germain, Madrid, Barcelona.

“It [selling him] would allow Santos to breathe, pay part of the debt and have a stronger team. I do not advocate for him to be sold, I just say there are proposals. If someone shows up and pays the clause, we will be obliged to sell him.”

Rodrygo has scored eight goals in 23 senior appearances across the Brasileiro and Paulista competitions for the club, leading to comparisons with Brazil star Neymar, who left Santos for Barcelona in 2013, before sealing a world-record €222m to PSG last year.