Real Madrid star not keen on SPL move despite interest from Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr: Reports

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger is reportedly not considering a move to Saudi Arabia amid interest from Al-Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. The news comes from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, who claims that the Germany international is certainly not looking to move in the winter (via Tribal Football).

Los Blancos could consider selling the central defender in the summer, considering Rudiger will only have a year left on his current deal. They would rather let him go in 2025 than lose the former Chelsea man for free in the summer of 2026.

For the time being, it looks as though Rudiger is set to stay put and contribute to his current employers' cause for the near future. Speaking about the same, Plettenberg wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter):

"Real Madrid's Antonio #Rüdiger is currently not considering a move to Saudi Arabia, especially not in winter. The 33y/o feels comfortable and is a key leader at Real."

"The centre-back is even open to the idea of extending his contract beyond 2026. However, there are no concrete discussions yet."

The thought of Rudiger extending his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu may not surprise many, given his importance even at the age of 31. He's made 15 appearances across competitions in the Spanish capital this campaign.

The centre-back joined Los Blancos from Chelsea in the summer of 2022 on a free transfer. He has since made 116 appearances across competitions for Carlo Ancelotti's side, bagging six goals and three assists. Rudiger has won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga once each for Real Madrid.

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Real Madrid interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate in January - Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammate Aymeric Laporte in the January transfer window. This is as per a report from Diario AS, who say that Carlo Ancelotti is looking to add to the central defensive department, which is currently depleted (via SPORTbible).

Los Blancos lost Nacho Fernandez and Rafa Marín in the summer, while David Alaba continues to recover from an ACL injury he picked up in December 2023. Hence, the La Liga giants are without sufficient options in this position and further issues could complicate the situation.

Laporte is a fairly safe choice, with the Spain international boasting sufficient experience in playing in the Premier League and La Liga. He's previously represented Athletic Bilbao, where the 30-year-old made 222 appearances across competitions, bagging 10 goals and six assists.