Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran ‘closer than ever’ to renewing his contract
Despite Real Madrid looking to make the transition to the next generation in defence, Antonio Rudiger has continually given the manager no reason to drop him and has come in the way of the club’s long-term goal.
The German star, after all, has always been one to place the club over his personal interests since he joined Real Madrid, and played through knee pain for months to ensure the club had him available during a critical phase of the previous season.
“I put my own health aside and wanted to be 100% for Real Madrid because there’s nothing I hate more than letting my teammates down,” he confessed in a recent interview.
A renewal is close
In recent days, it came to light that Real Madrid and Antonio Rudiger were in talks to extend the player’s contract by one season with a reduction in wages.
Now, Diario AS confirm that Rudiger is closer than ever to renewing his deal with Los Blancos, putting an end to all the speculation regarding his future.
His current deal is set to run out in June, but the club highly value his dedication and the consistency he has brought in defence for them this season, and will thus reward him with an added year on his deal.
Moreover, Rudiger’s physical condition has also taken a steep turn towards improvement since late January and he is now able to take on back-to-back games in a hectic schedule for the club.
In fact, he has already started six of the team’s last seven games and eight of their last ten.
Heading into the business end of the season, Rudiger seems set to be a regular starter for Alvaro Arbeloa, likely alongside Eder Militao.
As the quality of opposition increases deeper into events like the UEFA Champions League, his experience will be key for Los Blancos. Tonight’s game against Bayern Munich will be the first such test for Rudiger.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
