Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Alphonso Davies close to Los Blancos move, Antonio Rudiger not in talks with Saudi clubs, and more - June 13, 2024
Real Madrid registered a highly fruitful 2023/24 campaign, but remain keen for squad upgrades over the summer. Carlo Ancelotti's team won the league, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de Espana, and are preparing to go again next season.
Meanwhile, Alphonso Davies is inching towards a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. Elsewhere, Antonio Rudiger is not planning to move to the Middle East this summer.
On that note, let's look at the major Real Madrid transfer stories from June 13, 2024.
Alphonso Davies close to Real Madrid move
Alphonso Davies is edging closer to a move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, according to AS. The Canadian speedster's contract with Bayern Munich is set to expire in 2025 and Real Madrid reportedly want him this summer.
The Bavarians are eager for Davies to stay at the Allianz Arena and have already offered him a new deal. The 23-year-old is yet to commit his future to the Bundesliga giants, further addition to speculation regarding his future.
Bayern are holding fresh talks with the player, but negotiations haven't been fruitful so far. Davies wants a package worth €16m per year, which the German club are unwilling to offer. If he continues to stall a new deal, the Bavarians will be forced to cash in on him this summer to prevent losing him for free next year.
The Bundesliga club are likely to demand €50m for his signature, but the La Liga champions are planning to pay €15-20m less than the quoted amount.
Antonio Rudiger not in talks with Saudi clubs, says Fabrizio Romano
Antonio Rudiger is not in talks to move to the Middle East, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The German defender's contract with Real Madrid expires in 2026 and he remains a key figure at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Rudiger played a starring role in the club's success in the 2023/24 campaign, registering 48 appearances across competitions, all but four of which were starts. Recent reports have linked the player with a move to Saudi Arabia, with Al-Nassr named as a suitor.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano insisted that the 31-year-old remains fully committed to Los Blancos.
“Rudiger believes Real Madrid is the best project in the world at the moment, and so he is absolutely not negotiating with any Saudi club. It’s normal for Saudi clubs to be attracted by the best players in the world, and Rudiger is absolutely one of them, but there is nothing concrete or serious going on between Rudiger and Al Nassr or any other Saudi club because his full focus is only on Real Madrid," wrote Romano.
He continued:
“After extending the contracts of other stars like Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez, Rudiger is another player who is considered a crucial part of the project, and so Florentino Perez and Carlo Ancelotti want to keep him, so everyone is on the same page with this one.”
With Nacho Fernandez's future still up in the air, Rudiger's presence in the backroom will be vital for Carlo Ancelotti's relatively young squad.
Arda Guler opens up on joining Los Blancos
Arda Guler has outlined how Real Madrid convinced him to join them last summer. The Turkish teenager arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu from Fenerbahce, with the club seeing off stiff competition from Barcelona for his signature.
Guler was sidelined with injuries in the first half of the season and struggled for game time after regaining fitness. However, he ended the season well, finishing with six goals from 12 appearances.
Speaking to El Chiringuito TV, Guler stated that he agreed to join Los Blancos as they offered him the chance to learn from Luka Modric.
“I think that the dream of many children from a young age is to play for Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. The project they offered me was for a long time. I was convinced the moment we sat down at that table with Madrid, everything was already in place,” said Guler.
He continued:
“Real Madrid told me that I was going to be Luka Modric’s crown prince, and I was impressed because he is an incredible player. When I heard the project I said… that’s it.”
Modric's contract expires at the end of this month, but he is expected to sign a one-year deal with the La Liga giants.