Real Madrid are in the midst of a major squad overhaul this summer, as they look to bounce back following disasterous back-to-back trophyless seasons. A number of players are expected to depart as new players arrive as Jose Mourinho builds his squad to take Los Blancos back to the top of the mountain. David Alaba and Dani Carvajal have already departed the club, however one player who was expected to depart ended up signing a new extension, reportedly at the request of Jose Mourinho himself.
As being reported by theMadridZone on X, Jose Mourinho strongly pushed for Antonio Rudiger's renewal, with the club initially going to let him leave as a free agent once his contract expired in the summer. Mourinho values Rudiger's leadership qualities, the experience he has compared to the rest of the defense which the team lacks, as well as his strong style of defending.
Jose Mourinho loves him some Antonio Rudiger
Let's be honest here, is anyone surprised Jose likes Rudiger? The German defender is the prototypical Jose Mourinho style of physical defender who boarder's on the psychotic at times and is willing to do anything for the team. And let's be honest about this too, even if Jose hadn't pushed to keep Rudiger, the club should've decided to keep him anyways.
As mentioned earlier the club desperetly lacks any kind of veteran leadership, and following the departures of Dani Carvajal and David Alaba, Rudiger is really one of the few veterans left in the team. Having those vets in the squad is one of the most important aspects of a team and the success they achieve and Rudiger has played is role in the success Real has had in his time at the club.
The 33-year-old has been a loyal servant since arrival to the club in the summer as a free agent from Chelsea, and has been somewhat of an unsung hero, playing a major role in the incredible 23/24 season that saw Los Blancos win the La Liga and Champions League double, one of their best seasons in the last decade.
Keeping Rudiger, even if it's just for one more season is a good decision by Mourinho and the club and that could have a big impact on the performance of the backline this season. Even at his age Rudiger is still expected to have a major role in the team, with the German expected to partner the newly arriving Ibrahima Konate, as Real look to build a strong backline to start off the new Jose Mourinho era at the Bernabeu.
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