Florentino knows it, the player who is leaving Real Madrid in 2026 along with David Alaba

After the turmoil experienced during last season, one of the top priorities for the white club's leadership is to resume the generational transition in Santiago Bernabéu locker room. The area that has drawn all the attention for months is none other than the defense, judging by all the departures recorded there in such a short time.

The signings of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold are temporary reliefs for a situation that would soon present more "problems" for the merengue sports management. The contracts of two veteran center-backs are on the verge of expiring and there is no clear roadmap regarding their future.

The matter of David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger is starting to generate the first conversations in the Valdebebas offices. The Austrian "4" seems destined to leave Real Madrid when his current contract expires, with the deadline set for the summer of 2026. The European defender's inconsistent physical condition over the past two seasons, including a serious injury, is one of the main reasons to let him go.

The second reason is the same one that would have pushed Luka Modric out of the white first team: the need to include young talent in his position. The case of Antonio Rüdiger is certainly similar, though not identical: the German "22" is highly valued at all levels of the merengue squad for his unbelievable performance.

Time could clarify the outlook

So much so that the executives led by Florentino Pérez would be considering extending, even if only for one more year, the contract that binds the Berlin defender to Real Madrid. Antonio Rüdiger could leave as a free agent at the same time as David Alaba, a dilemma that is not easy to solve. On one hand, the player wants to stay as long as the merengue bosses allow him.

On the other hand, the German "22" shares Toni Kroos's vision regarding the final stage of his career. Rüdiger doesn't want to be a "burden" for Real Madrid, an argument that carries considerable weight after the physical problems he dealt with during the past soccer season.

The white sports management doesn't rule out his continuity until he is 34 years old, but it will be Rüdiger himself who has the final say on that key issue. The emergence of Saudi Arabia is also a factor to consider. The Saudi Pro League's offers have increased their salaries considerably, in an effort to attract the veteran center-back's attention.

Given these circumstances, Antonio Rüdiger's future will be decided during the final months of the 25/26 season. That decision will be influenced by the multi-million-dollar approaches from Saudi Arabia, Real Madrid's intentions regarding his renewal, and the player's feelings about his physical abilities.