Real Madrid’s new season has come with its own set of challenges, one of which has been the limited resources at centre-back.
Having bid farewell to Nacho Fernandez at the end of last season, Los Blancos have struggled in the department especially given that David Alaba is still not fit from his ACL injury last season.
The situation has left the manager with Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger as his only natural centre-halves. The duo has stepped up but it is clear that more depth in the department would have been favourable.
Rudiger invites a new transfer
In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was asked to give his two cents on one of the team’s rumoured targets William Saliba.
“Saliba to Madrid? Having Saliba would be great. He’s one of the three best centre-backs in the world alongside Van Dijk and Gabriel,” he said, showering praise on the Arsenal star.
After Los Blancos failed to secure the signing of Leny Yoro last summer, Saliba’s name arose as an option considered by the board to fill in the centre-back void that had been created.
Despite Real Madrid’s interest, however, Arsenal stood firm that the young Frenchman was an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s plans and that he was untransferable.
In fact, the Premier League giants immediately accelerated talks to renew his contract out of fear of losing him to the Spanish giants.
It remains to be seen if Florentino Perez and Co. pursue Saliba’s signing next summer but his contract until 2027 will make it a complicated deal. After all, he is already a regular starter for one of Europe’s elite teams.