Rüdiger is almost done

Real Madrid is inches away from its new central defender. The signing of Antonio Rüdiger (Berlin, 29 years old) is going through his peak, after almost four months in the quagmire. Who has unblocked the operation? The playerwhich has moved a key piece so that Real Madrid can return to its bid: reduce your financial demands. Because the white interest in the footballer comes from far behind; on December 27, 2021 the cover of AS He already had an almost total agreement between the two. His signing was stopped by the obstacle of his economic pretensions, but this recent movement has changed everything. And now, the signing is almost done.

At the moment the only certainty is that Rüdiger – whose contract with Chelsea ends this summer – will not renew. This was confirmed by his coach, Thomas Tuchel: “He told me a few days ago in a personal conversation. We have tried everything and it has not been possible. Now we are in a situation where we cannot do much more because of the sanctions. Rüdiger will leave, it is his decision“. In fact, as advanced The Athletic, the Berliner has rejected an offer to renew Chelsea for 230,000 euros per week, which would have made him the highest-paid center-back in the club’s history. He is clear that he wants out.

And the agreement with Madrid is practically closed. Such is the case, which according to El Chiringuito and could confirm AS, doctors from the white team will travel to London in the coming days to submit the footballer to a medical examination. Rüdiger suffered a long-term injury in his career: cruciate ligament rupture in 2015-16, when he was a Roma player. This, in fact, made him miss the 2016 European Championship. The main objective of the medical expedition is to certify that there are no risks of relapse in that ligament. A simple procedure to stay calm.

This will be the contract

The journalist Fabrizio Romano was the first to advance some of the terms of the contract that is being drafted with Rüdiger. It would last until June 2026 (four seasons) and it could be closed throughout May but, beware, there is a very important condition: in no case will his hiring be made official before the end of the season. The terms are already fixed and only some of the famous ‘fringes’ remain to be closed, but in what is important there is already an agreement between the club and the player.

His hiring closes three doors at once. The first, to Vallejo, with a contract until 2025, but to which an exit will be sought this summer, either in the form of sale or transfer. The second, to Chust, who is currently on loan at Cádiz without a purchase option. “I have a contract with Madrid and my intention is to stay there,” he said in an exclusive interview with AS. But he would have before him four central defenders like Militao, Alaba, Rüdiger and Nacho; a very dark future to stay. And the third, to Rafael Marinthe one that looked to be one of the great bets of La Fábrica… But that would face the same scenario.

The “new Pepe”

The German, when asked about who he would choose from all of history to form a pair of central defenders, chose pepe. He pointed out his way of living football, to the limit, “although sometimes it goes too far”. so it is too Rudigera 29-year-old 1.90-meter center-back who has given away unorthodox episodes, like when he bit Pogba’s back or, ‘a lo Alaba’, he took a chair in a celebration. The difference is that he did not pick it up like the Austrian, he quickly saw himself with it in his hand and chose to release it.

He came of age in dortmund academywho let him go free to the Stuttgart. The 2015-16 season was loaned to the Roma in exchange for four million and his performance was so outstanding that the Italian team invested 10 million to sign him as property. It was in 2017-18 when Chelsea paid 35 million to get him out of Rome. And he has been playing there until today, when he could go to Madrid… Free.