Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has joked that he wants to build a statue of Antonio Rudiger in his garden. The Los Blancos boss has hailed the veteran defender, whose future at the club has been under speculation of late.

Rudiger’s current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in June and the 33-year-old has been linked with a departure. When quizzed about the German’s future at the club, Alvaro Arbeloa has joked that he wants to build Rudiger’s statue.

Arbeloa hailed Rudiger as a role model for young players and insisted that he would always want him in the team. The Real Madrid manager said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on Instagram:

“I could ask for a 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈 𝐑𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 into my garden!”

“He’s a 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐋 for all 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒”. 👊🏿

“I 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 want Rüdiger in my team! I could put Don Antonio Rüdiger 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐄 in my garden… he told me: I will be ready in March, when there are crucial games.”

Rudiger has been a key player for Real Madrid since joining the Spanish giants in 2022 on a free transfer. The ex-Chelsea defender has made 173 appearances for Los Blancos till date scoring eight times and providing four assists.

The Germany international has won eight trophies during his time at the Spanish capital club, including one La Liga and one Champions League. He has only featured 17 times across competitions for Los Blancos this season, having missed 25 games with two different injuries.

Serie A giants looking to offer 2-year contract to Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger: Reports

Italian giants Juventus are reportedly considering offering a two-year deal to Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger. The Germany international’s current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu expires this summer, which has alerted the Old Lady.

As reported by Football Espana, Los Blancos are said to be close to agreeing a new deal with the defender to extend his stay. However, Juventus are also looking to take advantage of his contract situation and are prepared to offer a two-year deal.

The 33-year-old has also attracted interest from the Premier League and Saudi Arabia, as per reports. The Real Madrid star’s wage demands could be a huge stumbling block for the Bianconeri.

Rudiger already boasts experience of playing in Serie A, having represented AS Roma for two seasons. He joined the Giallorossi in 2015 initially on loan from VfB Stuttgart before making his move permanent in 2016. He made 72 appearances for the Serie A giants before leaving for Chelsea in 2017.