Real Madrid will delay decision over defensive leaders’ future for later in the season | OneFootball

Real Madrid have some critical decisions to make in the coming months with regard to the future of some of their experienced players.

Veteran stars such as Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, and Thibaut Courtois are in the final year of their contracts.

As things stand, Courtois’ extension has been agreed upon, while Alaba appears set to be on his way out, with no plans for his retention. It leaves Carvajal and Rudiger with their futures undecided midway through the 2025/26 campaign.

Real Madrid will wait until later in the season

And, according to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Real Madrid will delay a decision over the future of Rudiger and Carvajal until later in the season.

Rudiger, 32, has a little over six months left on his deal and the possibility of a switch to Saudi Arabia is quite real.

Dani Carvajal’s contract expires in 2026. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Given his fitness issues this season, the German international has been unable to play regularly.

As such, Real Madrid will make a decision on the continuity of one of their defensive leaders later in the campaign, based on his performances and feelings.

The same holds for Carvajal as well, whose contract also runs out on June 30, 2026. The Real Madrid captain will turn 34 years old in January and has also struggled with fitness issues.

In fact, the right-back is currently recovering from an arthroscopic procedure he underwent on his knee in October, with a return likely for the Spanish Super Cup.

However, Carvajal’s future beyond the season is far from certain, and the club will hold off on making a decision until a later point in the campaign.