Antonio Rudiger dreams of joining Real Madrid

Antonio Rudiger reportedly dreams of joining Real Madrid and has thus handed Los Blancos a boost in his pursuit ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Rudy Galetti in his column for Tribal Football, Antonio Rudiger harbours a dream of playing for Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are keen on snapping up the Chelsea defender in a Bosman move in the summer transfer window, and a move to the Santiago Bernabeu could be on the cards.

Antonio Rudiger has come into his own in the past year, going from a bit-part player for Chelsea to an indispensable figure under Thomas Tuchel. The 29-year-old has been one of the most reliable defenders in Europe during this period, with his compatriot bringing the best out of him.

To date, the German international has turned out 196 times for Chelsea, chipping in with 12 goals and seven assists in the process. But Rudiger’s future is of grave concern for Chelsea, especially considering they cannot sign new players or hand existing stars new contracts. With the player set to become a free agent in the summer, the situation has alerted Real Madrid.

The interest from Real Madrid stems from the inconsistencies of their defensive unit this season. While David Alaba and Eder Militao are the undisputed first-choice centre-backs for Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti does not have another quality option at his disposal to feature regularly.

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Nacho is only a backup option and on the wrong side of 30, while Jesus Vallejo will likely leave the Bernabeu for good in the summer transfer window. Rudiger has thus emerged as a viable target for Real Madrid, with Los Blancos recently offering him a contract worth €10 million per year.

The Spanish giants have now received a boost in the pursuit of the Chelsea defender, with Rudy Galetti revealing that he harbours a dream of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu. So while recent reports had claimed that Barcelona had leapfrogged Real Madrid in the race to sign the 29-year-old, the latest development keeps the Merengues in contention.

It will be interesting to see if Chelsea’s ownership situation gets resolved anytime soon, thus paving the way for Rudiger to remain at Stamford Bridge. But if the Blues cannot secure his long-term future, we could see him join Real Madrid in a Bosman move in the summer transfer window.