Now an indispensable starter, a Real Madrid star's contract extension seems close after Arbeloa's arrival.
A few months ago, the future of Antonio Rudiger seemed far from Real Madrid, and the fact was that he could barely play two games in a row due to the lingering problems in his knee, but after the arrival of Alvaro Arbeloa, he has become an undisputed starter again, and now the extension of his contract is the most likely scenario.
Real Madrid has been dealing with squad configuration problems all season at the center of its defense, with Alaba almost ruled out every weekend, Asensio injured in this final stretch, and Rudiger suffering constant pain from arthritis in his knee. Huijsen has had to play more games than desired, and the plan for the summer was to address this.
Now, almost in April, the idea within the board remains the same, but perhaps with less depth than previously planned, because in recent matches, Antonio Rudiger has stepped up and delivered excellent performances, shutting down Haaland in the Champions League knockout stage, to name one. Antonio is key in that locker room, and Arbeloa knows it.
Consequently, the Madrid coach did not hold back in his praise of the German in the news conference ahead of Sunday’s derby, saying that he had made himself available from minute one, and that if he could, he would build a statue of him in his garden. He stated that he is a true example for young players to look up to, highlighting his qualities off the field.
Although he also said he did not want to get involved in the negotiation between the club and the player, the mere fact of making those comments is already a hint to those who have to make the decision. Arbeloa, if he continues as Madrid coach, wants Rudiger to be one of his pillars, so with Asencio and Huijsen already in the mix, only one other top defender would be needed.
Rudiger, 33, has played 17 matches for Real Madrid this season, logging over 1,400 minutes of playing time, during which he has scored one goal and provided no assists.
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