Real Madrid is keen on strengthening their defense at the end of the season, and they have singled out Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger who will be a free agent at the end of the season as the top target.
Chelsea are reportedly unwilling to meet Rudiger’s £300,000 a week wage demands, and he intends to leave the Blues upon the expiry of his contract in June. A lot of offers are said to be on the table from top clubs like Bayern and Real Madrid, but it appears the Los Blancos are leading the race for his signature at the moment.
The 28-year-old German has been one of the most outstanding Chelsea players in recent times, and he has been instrumental to Chelsea’s recent successes. According to betting odds and tips, as can be seen on www.mightytips.com/bookmakers/saudi-arabia-betting-sites/, and other sports betting sites, the Blues are one of the favourites for the 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League, as well as the English Premier League title.
Chelsea’s head coach, Thomas Tuchel has repeatedly said Rudiger is in his immediate and future plans at Stamford Bridge, but the reality seems to be that the player will be leaving for Madrid at the end of the season. For this to happen though, Madrid needs to raise the needed funds to complete the deal as they are not in the best place financially at the moment.
The Spanish giants who already have over £40 million (after tax) to be paid for player’s wages would need to let go of some players to make way for the German defensive powerhouse.
Here is a list of 7 players we think the Spanish giants could offload to pave the way for their new defensive reinforcement.
1. Eden Hazard
The Belgian international made his move from Chelsea in 2019 in a deal that could be worth £140million. However, he has struggled with injuries and form since then, failing to make his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Going by the current realities, Thehardtackle reports indicate the club is willing to sell Hazard in a cut-price deal that is as low as £30 million.
The skillful Belgian who earns £416,000 a week, has been omitted from the starting line-ups on several occasions since Carlo Ancelotti took over, and getting rid of his high wages seems to be a great thing to do.
2. Marcelo
After 16 successful years at the club, Marcelo’s contract at the Santiago Bernabeu will finally come to an end this season.
Marcelo in his prime was a world-class player, unarguably one of the best Real Madrid players of the last decade, but age has caught up with him, and he is more of an unused substitute these days.
For a player who earns a whopping £331,000 per week, moving him on and directing that spare money towards the signing of a younger and more effective defender like Rudiger seems like the right call to make.
3. Gareth Bale
Welsh superstar, Gareth Bale has less than 6 months left in his Real Madrid contract, which expires at the end of the 2021/2022 season.
Bale who earns a staggering £600,000 a week in wages is currently the highest paid player in the team. However, he doesn’t play any part in the team, which makes him an expensive and unnecessary addition to the squad.
The club will most certainly not renew the former Tottenham Hotspur star’s contract, and this will provide enough funds to pursue Rudiger’s deal.
4. Luka Jovic
The Serbian striker signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019 has also failed to make his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu scoring only 2 goals.
Although he has not been given enough playing time, the fans appreciate his effort and hope he stays after scoring and assisting a goal in their last La Liga match against Real Sociedad.
Luka Jovic earns £152,000 per week at Madrid, and his contract expires in June 2025. The Los Blancos are considering loaning Luka Jovic but are still contemplating the decision as their star man, Karim Benzema is currently injured.
5. Dani Ceballos
The Spaniard has been plagued with injuries this season and is not expected to recover fully until December.
He doesn’t seem to fit into Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for next season and maybe offered to Arsenal where he already had a somewhat successful loan spell, or to Real Betis, in a deal which may contain an obligatory option to buy.
His current contract ends June 30, 2023.
6. Isco
The Spaniard midfielder has started just 2 games all season under Carlo Ancelotti and could likely be moved on to get rid of his high wages. Isco earns £225,000 a week and his contract which runs till June 30, 2022 will likely not be renewed.
Arsenal has shown an interest in the midfielder and going by the great relationship between the Gunners and Real, a potential move to London may even materialise in the winter. New moneybags, Newcastle United are said to have also shown some interest in the player.
7. Mariano Diaz
Mariano Diaz rose through the youth ranks at Madrid, but he hasn’t lived up to the initial hype. He initially had a successful loan spell at Lyon where he scored 18 goals in 37 appearances.
However, he has failed to show that form in a Real Madrid jersey, since he rejoined the club in 2018. The player has also been starved of the normal playing time and could really do with a transfer from Real Madrid.
Conclusion
Due to the current financial crisis faced by football clubs all over the world, it is essential that teams show a lot of invention and resourcefulness in order to sign their top targets. This is not just a Real Madrid – Chelsea problem, it is a problem which was ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Real Madrid who already has a high wage bill to deal with will have to get rid of a number of players to secure top targets like Antonio Rudiger and Kylian Mbappe. No doubt, getting rid of some of the players listed above will help them in achieving this objective.
