No player embodied Real Madrid better in the 21st century than Sergio Ramos. The central defender was a spiritual leader for 16 years before a shock switch to Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Even as Los Blancos won the Champions League title in the 2021/22 season, Ramos was notable in his absence.
Now, though, Real Madrid have finally found an able replacement, with Antonio Rudiger signed as a free agent. The German is one of the best in his position and will give Carlo Ancelotti an even stronger foundation to build upon. Rudiger should be perfect for the Santiago Bernabeu outfit and will erase any lingering regret over Ramos’ exit. In fact, a year removed from losing Ramos and selling Varane, the club looks far less exposed at the back than initially feared.
The first building block, it turned out, was already in place, with Eder Militao enjoying a stand-out 2021-22 campaign in anchoring the capital outfit to another league and European title. Shoring up the backline was David Alaba, signed 12 months ago in similar circumstances to those of Rudiger. The Austrian enjoyed a successful first season in Spain, but will be even better for having a physical presence like Rudiger alongside him next season. Ancelotti will boast one of the strongest backlines in European soccer.
Militao might feel somewhat aggrieved to have been replaced in Real Madrid’s strongest lineup given how well he played last season. Nonetheless, Rudiger would be an upgrade. The 29-year-old isn’t just strong in the air, winning an average of 1.6 aerial duels per 90 minutes for Chelsea in the Premier League last season, he’s highly effective with the ball at his feet, also averaging 73.4 total passes per 90 minutes. He is the complete modern defender.
It’s possible, however, that Militao doesn’t need to feel threatened in the least. Alaba has proven for club and country his ability to play not only at center and left-back, but also as a defensive midfield anchor. In the end, the Rudiger signing affords Ancelotti with considerable flexibility in the defensive third.
In another world, Rudiger signed a contract extension with Chelsea months ago and is preparing for another season at Stamford Bridge. By the German international’s own admission, radio silence from Chelsea was the reason for his departure, not the club’s perilous situation following the sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich.
“Business is business, but when you don’t hear any news from the club from August to January, the situation becomes complicated,” Rudiger explained in an article written for The Players’ Tribute. “After the first offer, there was a long gap of just nothing. We’re not robots, you know? You cannot wait for months with so much uncertainty about your future.”
Real Madrid are building for the future through the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde, and the arrival of Aurelien Tchouameni in the Spanish capital this summer. It’s clear that the club are also building for the present, as demonstrated by some of their recent signings.
Rudiger will help them bridge the gap between generations. He is in the prime of his career and will slot nicely into a team that is built to play to his strengths. Between Alaba and Rudiger, Real Madrid will have two defenders capable of bringing the ball out from the back, but the latter will be the dominant force out of possession.
The expensive redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabeu coupled with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has stopped Real Madrid from rebuilding their team in the exact way they would have liked, but the club continues to make smart decisions in the transfer market. The signing of Rudiger as a free agent shows they have their ear to the ground for good deals.
Kylian Mbappe was meant to be Real Madrid’s marquee signing this summer after two years of chasing the French forward, but his decision to remain at Paris Saint-Germain has changed Los Blancos’ plan for the transfer window. It is important they don’t allow the money saved for Mbappe to burn a hole in their pocket.
Aurelien Tchouameni’s signing underlines Real Madrid’s intent to build a team for the future, while Rudiger’s arrival highlights the desire to stay competitive as reconstruction of the squad takes place. Rudiger might never reach the heights that Ramos did in all-white, but there’s good reason to believe he will be exactly what Real Madrid need.
