Over the last few years, Real Madrid have become known as somewhat of the masters of the free transfer. The club has managed to sign players like Antonio Rüdiger, Kylian Mbappé, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all as free agents, which has become the new strategy of the club, sign superstar players as free agents.
With new manager Xabi Alonso at the helm, the club is sticking to their free agent plan and is signing free agents that fit his philosophy, and are planning for the future ahead. In the recent transfer windows, we've seen the club signing younger players whom they see as key players in the club's future.
As a result, some of the older veteran players are beginning to depart the club as the transition from the old guard to the new generation is taking shape. The club has big plans in mind for the 2026 summer transfer window, and those plans include letting two veteran players depart as free agents.
Real Madrid veteran duo to leave in 2026 with replacements already in mind
As being reported by AS, Real Madrid are expected to let David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger leave next summer as free agents once their contracts expire in July.
Both Alaba and Rüdiger arrived to Real Madrid as free agents in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and they both played a key role in the success the club achieved in those years. However, father time as well as injuries are catching up to the two central defenders, and as a result, the club are looking towards the future, and it doesn't include them.
Both are out of contract in July of 2026, and much like Luka Modrić and Lucas Vázquez, the club is not expected to offer them extensions, and as such, they will leave the same way they arrived, as free agents. And as a result, the club will be short two center-backs, however, the club has great plans in mind for the future.
As many know, Real's plan for next summer involved bringing in star Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konaté as a free agent, and talks are well advanced. As for the other central defender, the club plans to rely on youngster Joan Martínez. The 18-year-old is a Castilla product and showed incredible potential in the 24/25 preseason before suffering an ACL injury.