Real Madrid began their quest of becoming Europe’s best with a win over Inter Milan at San Siro, courtesy of a late winner from Rodrygo Goes. Carlo Ancelotti’s undefeated run continues with his fluid attacking style of football but questions continue to arise over the state of the defence.
The Merengues surprisingly bid farewell to Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window- two stalwarts who have been regular starters in the backline for the past decade. Despite the departures, David Alaba was the only signing that was made to reinforce the defence.
The current state of the defence is a natural phenomenon that was bound to occur after Ramos and Varane left. Currently, the backline misses a presence of a leader and an experienced centre-back alongside David Alaba as the likes of Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandez have been inconsistent with their performances.
Los Blancos desperately require recruitment in the backline and if there’s one centre-back that Real Madrid must consider signing next season, then it should be none other than Chelsea‘s Antonio Rudiger. Let’s look into three reasons why the German international is an ideal signing.
EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP
At the age of 28, Antonio Rudiger has managed to establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe. The German international revived his career under Thomas Tuchel last season and played a pivotal role in guiding Chelsea to the Champions League title.
Rudiger was arguably one of Chelsea’s best performers in the UCL last year and his performances against the bigger fish such as Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Manchester City in the final was noteworthy.
The 28-year-old is a natural-born leader who openly dictates the game from the backline and helps organise the defensive shape while out of possession. Apart from being a leader, Rudiger has a strong personality as a rough centre-back who never backs out from a harsh challenge or a 50/50 tackle. He always gives his 100% and is an authoritative player.
At the moment, Real Madrid lacks a player with experience and an aggressive persona and the only player that comes close to Sergio Ramos’ presence is Antonio Rudiger. They both are warriors and Rudiger could fill in that void and form an excellent partnership alongside Alaba.
ANTONIO RUDIGER CAN SOLIDIFY THE BACKLINE
Yes, that’s how good Antonio Rudiger can be. In the picture above, the German international pulled off a match-saving tackle by throwing himself on the line to miraculously stop Phil Foden’s shot on goal.
Last season in the Premier League, wingers and forwards found it almost impossible to get past Rudiger who maintained a 0.32 per 90 of being dribbled against. While it’s difficult to dribble past Antonio Rudiger, the same can be said about beating him in the air.
The German international averages 2.63 aerial duels per game while he maintained a success rate of 75.8%. These statistics themselves prove how defensively sound Antonio Rudiger is. (All stats taken from FbRef)
There’s literally no visible weak points to his game- he’s fast, agile, strong in the air, difficult to dribble past, has a physical presence and is quite calm and composed on the ball as well. He’s got it all and he’s only 28-years-old entering the prime years of his career soon.
With his contract running out next year in June, Real Madrid have to look into the possibility of signing the German centre-back. He would easily form a solid partnership alongside David Alaba for the next couple of seasons due to their ages.
A WORLD-CLASS CENTRE-BACK FOR FREE!
After Real Madrid failed to sign Kylian Mbappe in August, Los Blancos are gearing up for a grand 2022 summer transfer window as they plan on signing some of the biggest names in world football.
The Merengues have their eyes set on Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba, two potential free signings for next year. Meanwhile, Javier Tebas, La Liga’s president, has stated that Real Madrid have sufficient financial resources to even sign Erling Haaland next season due to their excellent financial management during the pandemic.
While the focus mainly seems to be on the frontline, Florentino Perez cannot overlook the backline. Antonio Rudiger’s contract runs out next year and according to Matt Law, Chelsea’s negotiations with Rudiger and his agent are stalling due to the player’s demands.
Real Madrid are reportedly one of the interested parties alongside Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain who are also closely monitoring the player’s situation. If Chelsea fail to reach a common ground with Rudiger, Los Blancos should approach the player in January and begin talks for a potential free transfer in the summer of 2022.
Agreeing to personal terms should not be much of an issue as the club will bid farewell to the likes of Isco, Marcelo and Gareth Bale at the end of the season since their contracts expire. The wages saved can be used to negotiate a deal with Rudiger who seems to be demanding a higher wage than what he currently earns at Chelsea.