Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could be set for a loan move to Espanyol, according to reports in Catalonia.

The 18-year-old arrived at the Bernabéu this summer in a €45m deal from Santos but has so far yet to make an appearance for either the senior side or Raúl’s Castilla as he recovers from a thigh injury. Despite some impressive showings in pre-season, the Brazil under-20 international has been assigned to the reserves for the time being with Zinedine Zidane’s squad currently standing at 26 players, one more than the number that can be registered as eligible to feature in a Liga squad.

While Zidane seeks a taker for striker Mariano to address the imbalance, other members of his squad are also working to convince the Frenchman of their value before the European transfer market ends on September 2.

Rodrygo to follow Asensio, Vázquez to RCDE

However, the Bernabéu board are considering a loan move for Rodrygo to gain top-flight experience after adopting a similar method with Japanese forward Kubo, who has joined Mallorca for the 2019-20 campaign. And after the successful experiment of sending Marco Asensio – who is out with a long-term knee injury and expected to miss most of the season – and Lucas Vázquez to the RCDE for the 2015-16 and 2014-15 seasons respectively, Real are considering a similar arrangement with Rodrygo.

It is a move that could suit both parties; the Parakeets lost prolific striker Borja Iglesias to Betis during the summer and could do with a star name while Real enjoy good relations with the Catalan club, who sent a much more rounded and experienced Vázquez and Asensio back to the Bernabéu after their spells in Cornellà.