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Türkiye's Galatasaray has emerged as a potential next destination for Real Madrid's Brazilian winger Rodrygo, who has struggled to secure consistent minutes this season, Spanish media suggested.
The 24-year-old star has drawn attention from Galatasaray fans following a friendly match between Brazil and Senegal on Nov. 15, after he and Senegalese left-back Ismail Jakobs, who plays for Galatasaray, engaged in a face-to-face exchange on the pitch and subsequently followed each other on social media, where they also exchanged posts.
Spanish sports outlet AS speculated that Jakobs may have spoken to Rodrygo about Galatasaray during or after the encounter, further fueling rumors of a potential move to the Turkish club in the winter transfer window.
The Brazilian winger is reportedly open to a loan transfer for the remainder of the campaign, preferably to a team participating in the UEFA Champions League. Galatasaray, the reigning champions of Türkiye’s top-tier Super Lig and current Champions League contenders, aligns with Rodrygo’s search, the report noted.
The Turkish side is currently seeking a versatile forward who can play on either wing or as a central striker and had previously been linked with Italian Serie A stars such as Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
Supporters of the Istanbul-based club flooded Rodrygo’s social media accounts with comments urging him to join, using phrases such as "Come to Galatasaray."
AS further reported that Galatasaray would be willing to take Rodrygo on loan if Real Madrid agreed to let him leave and cover half of his wages during the loan spell.
Rodrygo’s current market value is estimated at €80 million ($92.15 million), according to Transfermarkt. So far this season, the player has appeared in 13 matches, providing 2 assists.
Despite his high valuation, Rodrygo previously spoke favorably about Galatasaray fans in a 2022 interview with ESPN, recalling the intense atmosphere during a UEFA Champions League match at Rams Park in 2019, where he scored a hat-trick in his team’s 6–0 victory: "The Galatasaray fans are incredible. I nearly went deaf when we came out to warm up. The noise was unbelievable."
The Brazilian forward was transferred from Brazil’s Santos in 2019 in a €45 million deal at the age of 19, and still has three years remaining on his contract with Real Madrid.
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