Tottenham Hotspur‘s long-running interest in Real Madrid winger Rodrygo Goes is over before it ever properly began, after the Brazilian suffered a serious ACL knee injury during Madrid’s LaLiga game against Getafe.
Rodrygo had been identified as Tottenham’s primary transfer target for the summer window, per transfer journalist Nicolò Schira, and the club had already opened dialogue through intermediaries with the player’s camp over a potential deal.
It was a pursuit that had been brewing for over a year. Former chairman Daniel Levy had looked at Rodrygo as a replacement for Son Heung-min, and the new regime continued those conversations throughout the winter.
Arsenal and Manchester City had also been circling, turning the situation into one of the more anticipated transfer stories of the summer. But the injury ended all of it.
The 25-year-old went down clutching his knee in the 66th minute at the Bernabeu during the match. He later confirmed the news himself on Instagram.
“One of the worst days of my life. How much I always feared this injury,” he wrote.
He will miss the remainder of the season and the entire 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Real Madrid just confirmed he has undergone surgery. A return before October is considered unlikely by the club’s medical staff, which means any transfer this summer is completely off the table.
Whoever was planning to sign him in July will now have to look elsewhere.
