Galatasaray are lining up a staggering double swoop for German superstars Antonio Rudiger and Leon Goretzka, in a move that would send shockwaves through European football.
The Turkish giants are preparing a formal approach for Real Madrid’s powerhouse defender Rudiger, whose contract at the Bernabeu expires next summer. He’s free to talk to foreign clubs from January 1st, and boss Okan Buruk has made the 31 year old his top target.
According to reports from Spain, the club’s hierarchy are determined to make a major statement in the winter market. Rudiger, a Champions League winner with Chelsea and a key figure for Madrid, is seen as the perfect leader to galvanise their backline. The plan is to pair him with Davinson Sanchez, forming a defensive wall built for the latter stages of Europe’s premier competition.
“He’s a proper warrior, exactly what we need,” a source close to the club was quoted as saying. Buruk believes the defender’s pedigree can attract other top talents to Istanbul, and there’s a growing confidence a deal can be done. The fact he’s yet to sign an extension in the Spanish capital has got Galatasaray’s money men buzzing.
In a parallel move, the Lions have revived their long term interest in Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka. The 29 year old, also entering the final months of his deal, represents the dynamic, goalscoring engine Buruk craves in the middle of the park. Talks are believed to have already started behind the scenes.
If Galatasaray can pull off both coups, it would represent one of the most audacious transfer windows in the club’s history. It signals a serious intent not just to dominate the Super Lig, but to become a genuine force in the Champions League again. With the league title race heating up, business like this could be the difference between a good season and a legendary one. All eyes are now on the January window.