Rodrygo Wants to Stay at Real Madrid After Interest from Other Clubs 

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #11 Rodrygo looks on during a press conference at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England on February 10, 2025, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against Manchester City. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #11 Rodrygo looks on during a press conference at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England on February 10, 2025, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against Manchester City. (AFP)
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Rodrygo Wants to Stay at Real Madrid After Interest from Other Clubs 

Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #11 Rodrygo looks on during a press conference at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England on February 10, 2025, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against Manchester City. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Brazilian forward #11 Rodrygo looks on during a press conference at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England on February 10, 2025, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against Manchester City. (AFP)

Real Madrid forward Rodrygo said he is grateful for the interest from other clubs but wants to stay with the LaLiga side for many years to come.

Rodrygo has scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in 31 games for Real across all competitions this season and the 24-year-old Brazilian was reportedly the recipient of lucrative mid-season offers from other clubs.

"The terms of the offers, that's more of my father's job, who is my agent, and the club. I do not know much about the details. I am very grateful that there is interest from other clubs," Rodrygo told reporters on Monday.

"I am really happy here. I have been here for a long time. I always say, playing with this shirt in the Champions League is most special."

Rodrygo's current deal with Real runs until 2028. Germany ($295.7 million), Italy ($223.8 million), France ($209.7 million) and Saudi Arabia ($202.1 million) completed the list of the top five countries for their clubs' January spending.

Real Madrid face Manchester City away on Tuesday in the first leg of their knockout playoff after both clubs failed to qualify automatically for the last 16 under the Champions League's new format.



Gasly Puts Alpine on Top in First Saudi F1 Practice

 Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the first free practice ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP)
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the first free practice ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP)
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Gasly Puts Alpine on Top in First Saudi F1 Practice

 Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the first free practice ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP)
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly of France steers his car during the first free practice ahead of the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP)

Pierre Gasly was surprise top of the timesheets for Renault-owned Alpine in first practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday.

The French driver lapped the super-fast Jeddah Corniche circuit with a best time of one minute 29.239 seconds, 0.007 quicker than McLaren's Formula One leader Lando Norris could manage.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third, 0.070 off the leading pace, with McLaren's Australian Oscar Piastri, winner in Bahrain last weekend and only three points behind Norris after four races, fourth.

The session, run in the late afternoon sunshine on the shores of the Red Sea, was largely unrepresentative of the conditions for Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race, which is held at night.

The session still served as a useful measure of driver confidence on a daunting track that rewards the gradual building up of pace.

Alex Albon was fifth for Williams with George Russell sixth fastest for Mercedes, ahead of Williams' Carlos Sainz and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, last year's winner in Jeddah, was ninth and teammate Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10.

Gasly's Australian rookie teammate Jack Doohan was 16th.

Haas's Oliver Bearman, who made his F1 debut with Ferrari as a stand-in last year, was 18th after a brush with the wall at turn one. He continued without damage.