Real Madrid News
La Liga outfit interested in acquiring the services of former Real Madrid veteran
Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric were two Real Madrid veterans who left the club after the end of the FIFA Club World Cup.
While Modric is already plying his trade for his new club, AC Milan, Vazquez remains a free agent, even though he has no shortage of suitors either.
Earlier in the summer, Vazquez himself was linked with a move to AC Milan, while several Spanish clubs, too, have been linked with the veteran defender.
Espanyol interested in Vazquez
According to MARCA, Vazquez has now found himself on the radar of Espanyol, who are keen on acquiring his services this summer.
It must be noted that Vazquez had spent a brief spell at Espanyol when he was loaned out to the Catalan outfit in the summer of 2014.
During that one season, the Spaniard was involved in nine goals in 33 league matches, making him a star performer for the club.
Since then, Lucas has gone on to win five Champions League titles at Real Madrid and has featured in over 300 matches in La Liga.
Espanyol, nevertheless, are keen on signing him despite his age and feel this summer could be an ideal opportunity for them to snap him up on a free transfer.
Vazquez, for his part, has reportedly refused to negotiate with Spanish clubs out of respect for Real Madrid.
However, it will be interesting to see whether or not he could be tempted to rejoin his former club in Espanyol.
The coming weeks, therefore, could prove to be critical as Lucas Vazquez looks to take the final step of his career.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
