Antonio Rudiger poised to play central role as Real Madrid begin new era | OneFootball

Real Madrid were quick to address the weaker areas of their team right after the end of the last season, and have already completed the signings of three new players for their backline, i.e., Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, and Denzel Dumfries.

Furthermore, another operation they completed in regards to the defense was the renewal of their center-back Antonio Rudiger, who got a one-year extension, and is now set to stay at the Merengue club till 2027.

This renewal could turn out to be quite influential for the white team going into the next season, as a report from Diario AS claims that Rudiger is going to be a key player for Jose Mourinho next season, and thus, his earlier than expected elimination from the World Cup could prove to be a blessing for the new coach.

Although Konate is expected to be a significant addition to the team, he would report for the preseason training quite late, especially as France have already qualified for the Round of 16, and are one of the teams that are expected to go all the way to the final of the World Cup, which takes place on 19th July. Furthermore, he would also need some time to gel with his new teammates at Real Madrid.

Thus, the German can prove to be a crucial player for Mourinho, who would be looking to get results right from his first match on the Real Madrid bench. This was one of the reasons the Merengues decided to offer him a renewal, while taking a different course with Carvajal and Alaba. His successful recovery from his knee problems also led to this decision from the white club.

The Portuguese coach is still asking for another center-back signing, with Alessandro Bastoni in the pole position. But even if he is also signed, he would also need some time to adapt to his new team, and thus, Antonio Rudiger would remain of paramount importance for Real Madrid going into the next season.