Real Madrid reportedly do not see David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger as part of their plans beyond the 2025–26 season.
Much has been made about Real Madrid’s desire to begin a new era under Xabi Alonso, one that features young, exciting players across the pitch. The club parted ways with Luka Modrić after 13 years, paving the way for the ascendancy of 20-year-old Arda Güler.
Los Blancos also bid farewell to Lucas Vázquez as part of a defensive overhaul this summer. Real Madrid paid a record-breaking fee of £50 million ($66.4 million) for 20-year-old Dean Huijsen, signed 22-year-old Álvaro Carreras and completed the long-awaited transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
With so much new talent coming to Madrid, the Spanish giants are taking stock of their current squad, and 33-year-old Alaba and 32-year-old Rüdiger could find themselves pushed out the door at the end of next season.
According to AS, both defenders are “on their way out” of Real Madrid. The club is reportedly uninterested in renewing either of their contracts, which expire in June 2026.
Of the two center backs, Rüdiger would be the one more likely to change the club’s mind should he remain fit and put in a great season under new boss Alonso, the Spanish outlet claims. Alaba, though, does not have a future in a white shirt.
The club reportedly wanted the Austrian to leave this summer, but there were “no offers” for the player who has made just 31 appearances in the last two seasons due to injury. Alaba’s current contract might see him stay at the club for another year, but his decline in fitness and form will all-but relegate him to the bench.
The potential departure of both Alaba and Rüdiger, then, opens the door for Ibrahima Konaté. The defender, who can leave Liverpool as a free agent next summer, is the club's “renewal plan” for the center back position.
The hope for Real Madrid is that the Frenchman follows in the footsteps of his former teammate Alexander-Arnold and makes the move to the Spanish capital. Konaté’s arrival would allow the club to confidently bid farewell to Alaba and Rüdiger in its pursuit to build a squad capable of winning for years to come.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid ‘Write Off’ Two Veterans As Pursuit of Liverpool Star Intensifies.