The chance has opened up for Liverpool to sign Santos wonder kid Rodrygo as the youngster is stalling on a new contract with the Brazilian club. This has seen the youngster get forbidden by the board from playing for Santos U17 side. Back in March, we were said to be very interested in the 16-year-old. Reports from Brazil covered the chase, and Catalan newspaper Sport claimed there was a €5m bid for him.
Santos were already struggling to agree to a contract renewal for the player at the time, and things are still dragging on. According to Globo Esporte, the Brazilian club’s board have forbidden the striker from playing for the U17 squad. They will hold this decision until he decides whether he stays or leaves.
This would be Rodrygo’s first professional contract despite still playing for the U17 team. His current academy deal expires in June 2018. While his agent accuses the club of putting pressure on the youngster to renew the contract, the board says the representatives promise offers which never really arrive.
The report claims that Santos are afraid that paying a high salary for an academy player will encourage other youngsters to ask for the same. So it’s unlikely that they will raise their offer. Rodrygo’s potential is surrounded by great expectation from Santos’ board and fans, with some saying he’s the next one to follow Neymar (Sport) and Gabigol in the club’s generation of talents.
If at all the interest from us is true and genuine, this is the right time to enter the negotiations for the player. He is yet to sign a contract with Santos and has only one year left on his current deal. We’d be getting a bargain considering these factors. Rodrygo is highly rated and it’d be a major coup if we manage to sign the youngster.
Brazil has never failed to produce amazing talents and with some star Brazilians already in our team, Rodrygo might probably consider joining us as Coutinho and Firmino’s presence would help him settle at the club easily. Moreover, the time would be right for the player to move abroad as he is only 16.
Though it would be extremely difficult for a 16-year old to travel abroad and settle down, it would be better if he did it early in his career. He is certainly not going to achieve greatness by staying at Brazil. He has to move out of South America at some point in time and now would be the best in my opinion as he’d completely turn European in a few years time. That would greatly increase the prospect of Rodrygo expanding his career according to his wish.
