Real Madrid superstar admits he had wanted to join PSG

Real Madrid have not signed a lot of players in recent times but their eye for talent has proven to be excellent. They have gotten the recruitment pretty much perfect, which is one of the biggest reasons why Los Blancos have remained a winning team despite having to deal with constant injuries and a lack of squad depth.

The decision to sign Antonio Rudiger as a free agent, when his contract at Chelsea ran out, is proving to be another masterstroke on the part of Real Madrid. The German international has established himself as a key starter in Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Admittedly, his debut campaign with Real Madrid was not particularly impressive and many questioned his ability to play in a back four. After all, his biggest successes at Chelsea had come while playing alongside two other centre-backs.

Rudiger has proven the doubters wrong this season though and has arguably been the best centre-back in the world. But if things had turned out a bit differently, he could have been playing for PSG at this time.

Real Madrid superstar admits he had wanted to join PSG

It is easy to forget but during Frank Lampard's first stint as Chelsea manager, there was a period of time when Rudiger was barely playing. And the German centre-back wanted a move to PSG.

As reported by football.london, Rudiger said while speaking to GOAL:

"I really wanted to leave. I wanted to leave. I wanted to join Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain, that was my wish."

Fortunately for both Real Madrid and Rudiger, a move to PSG did not end up happening. Instead, Tuchel would join Chelsea in the middle of the 2020/21 season and the Blues would go on to win the Champions League.

Rudiger played a key part in that triumph and under Tuchel['s management, he probably was the best centre-back on the planet. Surprisingly, he became available as a free agent in the summer of 2022 and Real Madrid ended up bringing him to Santiago Bernabeu.