Real Madrid News
Real Madrid in talks with defensive leader over renewal, decision likely next week
Earlier this week, Real Madrid announced that captain Dani Carvajal will leave the club at the end of the season, with his contract expiring.
While it has not been officially confirmed, David Alaba is also expected to follow Carvajal on his way out, with the Austrian’s current deal also running out.
Another defender whose contract expires on June 30 happens to be Antonio Rudiger, but unlike Carvajal and Alaba, the German international is likely to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Talks ongoing over a renewal
Indeed, according to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Rudiger is in talks with Real Madrid over extending his contract beyond this season.
The 33-year-old remains one of the team’s leaders and those within the dressing room expect for him to sign a new deal with the club.
As is the club’s policy for players over 30 years old, Real Madrid are offering Rudiger only a one-year extension.
Even though reports earlier suggested that Rudiger and Real Madrid had agreed on a one-year extension, the aforementioned update claims otherwise.
So far, there is no agreement between the two parties and talks are ongoing, with a resolution expected next week – one way or another.
Rudiger’s renewal will be key
At a time when Real Madrid are going through major transition, retaining a player like Rudiger becomes extremely important.
With Carvajal and Alaba on their way out, Los Blancos are saying goodbye to two of the most experienced players and locker-room leaders. That is why extending Rudiger’s contract will be even more necessary.
Even though he has had a season disrupted by injuries, the German international remains one of the leaders inside the dressing room and on the pitch.
As such, ensuring that he remains a part of the team for the upcoming season will be critical for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid are back in action tomorrow in La Liga as they take on Elche at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Matchday 6.
The Merengues go into the game on the back of a solid 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu and will be eager to build on that, especially with the Madrid derby coming up later in the week.
Ahead of the trip to Elche, Jose Mourinho has announced the squad list of players that will be at his disposal for the game tomorrow night.
There are no new returns to the squad as Real Madrid continue to be without Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, and Rodrygo Goes for the game.
Mourinho could look to make changes to his starting lineup, keeping an eye on the derby at the weekend, which could potentially open the doors for someone like Aurelien Tchouameni to start, having been eased back into the thick of things after return from injury.
There could be some rotations in defence as well, with the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Trent Alexander-Arnold hoping to get some action on the pitch.
It remains to be seen if Yan Diomande starts another game after featuring from the get-go against Rayo at the weekend, especially considering that Arda Guler has been a key player for Mourinho’s team.
Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Jude Bellingham have started all matches so far and it will be interesting to see if one or all of them are given a break with an eye on the derby.
📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 14, 2026
🆚 @elchecf pic.twitter.com/cTBbwSThoO
