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Ex-Everton star Yannick Bolasie has hit out at Gary Neville's punditry, claiming the Manchester United legend "thinks he’s the second coming of Pep Guardiola". Neville was on Sky Sports commentary during the Premier League clash between the Toffees and the Red Devils as Ruben Amorim's side suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss against 10 men.

Man Utd's unbeaten streak ends

After a torrid start to their 2025-26 campaign, United began to pick up form in the Premier League as they registered three wins in a row against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. At the start of November, they were held to back-to-back draws by Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. After a five-match unbeaten run, many believed that the days of agony were finally behind United as they were looking like a close-knit unit for the first time in the Amorim era. 

However, United were brought crashing back down to earth on Monday evening as they went down 1-0 against a 10-man Everton side. Idrissa Gueye was sent off in the 13th minute after he fought with his own team-mate Michael Keane on the pitch. The hosts, though, could not capitalise on their man advantage and instead conceded around the half-hour mark as former Chelsea man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the all-important winning goal.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEx-Everton star slammed Gary Neville

Former United star Neville, who was on broadcasting duty with Sky Sports for the game, failed to impress ex-Everton and Crystal Palace player Yannick Bolasie with his punditry skills. The 36-year-old Congolese winger took a shot at the Red Devils legend on social media.

Bolasie wrote on X: "I’m watching this game on mute. I respect opinions but not when he’s giggling all over the mic thinking he’s the second coming of guardiola, allow it…great player but the tactics give it a rest laaaad."

Amorim wished United played like Everton

Amorim was understandably unhappy with the team's performance at home against a team reduced to 10 men as he went on to claim that United deserved to lose, while heaping praise on David Moyes' side for showing fighting spirit.

After the game, the Portuguese coach told reporters: "I think they were a better team with 11. They then worked really well with 10 men for 70 minutes. So I think we deserved to lose. We didn't play well. We didn't play with the right intensity. I know which point we are in the moment. So we are not there, not even near the point that we should be to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do, and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect. I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. So we need to work together. We are going to work together. I'm not going. The players are trying, but we need to be better so we have training tomorrow, and we are going to prepare the next one."

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Getty Images SportAre United ready to challenge for a top five finish?

United had the perfect opportunity to reclaim their place among the top five teams in the Premier League after Bournemouth dropped points against West Ham, Arsenal thrashed Tottenham in the north London derby and both Liverpool and Manchester City lost their respective fixtures. However, with the lost against Everton, United have dropped to 10th.

Amorim admitted that United are still not ready to challenge the elite teams in the division. The Portuguese added: "It is my responsibility to explain the game, and today, it was not one mistake of one individual, it was the team. The way we saw the results of the weekend. We should get inside the pitch with a different level of excitement, that is, that is my feeling. It doesn't matter if you are playing well, making good passes, but the feeling and Old Trafford was there, saying we are all here to give a big step up, and I felt that we were not ready again."

The Red Devils next face Crystal Palace in a difficult away fixture on Sunday in the Premier League. 

Alex Crook, chief football correspondent at talkSPORT, has provided an update on rumours linking Bruno Lage with a return to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Last December, Wolves hired Vitor Pereira to replace Gary O’Neil, who had nearly steered the club into a relegation battle. Through a strong run of form and sense of unity in the second half of the season, Pereira guided Wolves away from the bottom three, ultimately finishing comfortably within the confines of mid-table.

Across the summer, Wolves lost important players, including Rayan Ait-Nouri, Nelson Semedo and Matheus Cunha. As has often been the case in recent years, the Midlands side replaced them with players who were not of the same calibre, which has hampered their 2025/26 campaign.

After 10 games in the Premier League, Wolves remain without a win and have just two points. Pereira, despite signing a new contract just weeks ago, was sacked at the start of November, sparking a hunt for Wolves to find their new manager.

O’Neil had been linked with what would’ve been a sensational return, only to pull himself out of contention. Other names include Erik ten Hag, no stranger to the Premier League following his tenure as Man United manager. In his latest job, however, the Dutchman was sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after just three matches.

Elsewhere, a boss that Wolves are particularly acquainted with has been linked with a return to the Premier League.

Lage reportedly on Wolves' radar

In recent days, Wolves have been linked with a move for former manager Bruno Lage. The Portuguese first joined Wolves in 2021, replacing Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm. Despite a promising start, form ultimately faltered under Lage, who was dismissed in late 2022.

Since then, Lage has worked in both Brazil and his native Portugal, having last been in charge of Benfica, who sacked him in September. Given his status as a free agent, Lage’s links to a Wolves reunion are understandable, though it appears that there is little truth to the rumours.

It remains unclear who will be the next manager of Wolves, though a reunion with either O’Neil or Lage now appears impossible. Given how their respective tenures ended, it may suit the club to pursue a manager that has no prior links at Molineux.

"World-class" manager wants talks with Wolves

Manchester United are now rivalling Liverpool for the signature of a “brilliant” forward, who has been in impressive form so far this season.

Man Utd eyeing new forward ahead of January

Man United’s recruitment has been questionable over the years, but Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have certainly made promising starts to life at Old Trafford, with Paul Merson singling them out for high praise earlier this season.

The former Arsenal man said: “Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha look good. Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole used to be an unbelievable partnership and these two could become a success like that duo at Manchester United.”

“Mbeumo and Cunha will always create problems for opponents, it’s just that they have to do it consistently.”

With Ruben Amorim’s side looking to get back into Europe next season, however, they may need to bring in additional options in attack, and they are now looking to sign a Liverpool target.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Man United have now joined the race for RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande, who is being targeted by a whole host of Europe’s top clubs, and Jurgen Klopp is a big fan.

With Liverpool scouts pushing for FSG to get a deal done, United may have to move swiftly to secure his signature, and it could be very expensive, with the German club set to demand the full £87m release clause included in his contract.

A TEAMtalk source adds: “In terms of talent level, Red Bull has not experienced an interest like this since Erling Haaland. The ceiling for this kid is that high.”

“However, it has to be pointed out there is no for sale sign attached to him – Leipzig do not want to let him leave.”

Man Utd submit £24m bid for "powerful" midfielder with shades of Adam Wharton

United have now made an opening offer for a new midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Dec 4, 2025 "Brilliant" Diomande impressing for club and country

Scout Jacek Kulig was full of praise for the Ivorian earlier this season, praising the impact he has made for both club and country.

The 19-year-old is certainly making an impression in his first season in Germany, having already chipped in with eight goal contributions in all competitions, while he has also showcased his defensive qualities.

That said, £87m would be a huge fee to shell out on a player yet to prove himself over a sustained period of time, especially considering Man United are planning to shell out over £100m on a new midfielder.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched Roki Sasaki on joining their franchise, they had an ace up their collective sleeve: toilets.

On Wednesday, Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten recalled how the franchise lured Sasaki, partly because of fancy new toilets installed in the team's clubhouse.

Kasten recalled that when the Dodgers were recruiting Sasaki, they were also deep into planning for modernizing their clubhouse. The plan had begun the year before when they were attempting to recruit Shohei Ohtani. Near the end of recruitment, Sasaki asked if the team planned to have fancy Japanese toilets installed.

"I said, 'Well, why do you ask? Is that important?' And he said, 'Oh, yeah, that's really important,'" Kasten said. "And I said, 'Oh yeah, then we're having them in there.' And so overnight we changed our plans, and now the entire locker room has these fancy Japanese toilets."

If only the Padres and Blue Jays had known about Sasaki's love of fancy toilets.

When the Dodgers landed the 23-year-old righty, he was almost universally considered the best pitching prospect in the world. Unfortunately for L.A., he has missed most of the season due to shoulder issues. When he has been on the mound, Sasaki has disappointed, going 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts against 22 walks in 34 1/3 innings.

But hey, at least the whole team gets to use those fancy toilets.

Allen, Ferguson, Milne, Phillips, O’Rourke and Sears were all unavailable due to injury

Deivarayan Muthu19-Oct-2025Kane Williamson will return to action for New Zealand in the three-match ODI series against England, which kicks off at Bay Oval, his home ground, on October 26. Williamson, 35, is missing from the ongoing T20I series as he is recovering from an unspecified, ‘minor medical issue’ in the past month.Williamson is among a group of players who have a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He had earlier made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia and missed the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and the Hundred as part of his deal with Middlesex. More recently, Williamson was appointed Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) strategic advisor in the IPL.Allrounder Nathan Smith also returned to the New Zealand squad after undergoing rehab for an abdominal injury sustained during the first Test against Zimbabwe in August in Bulawayo. Smith, 27, has not played any competitive cricket since.Related

• Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter welcomed Williamson and Smith back into the set-up. For Williamson, this will be his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final in Dubai in March earlier this year. Smith also played in that final, though as a last-minute replacement for Matt Henry, who was injured at the time.”Kane and Nathan have had to work hard to overcome their respective injuries and illness,” Walter said in a statement. “We all know what Kane means to the Blackcaps – to have his skill, experience and leadership back in the group is fantastic.”Nathan’s still relatively new to his international career, but he’s impressed with his all-round skills and ability in the field.”Having undergone rehab, Smith has declared himself fit and ready for the New Zealand summer.”Yeah, always exciting when you get the opportunity to play for New Zealand in any series,” Smith said. “The last period from that [Bulawayo] Test to now has looked like a bit of rest initially. And then after a couple of weeks, you can sort of start to get moving again and strengthen the ab back-ups. Since the start of September, I’ve been ripping into some rehab and building the bowling loads back up. It’s just been a really good period to get some strength in and build some training back up for a busy season.”Mitchell Santner also returned to take charge of the ODI team after leading them to the Champions Trophy final. Having recovered from an abdominal injury, he is currently in action in the T20I series against England.However, Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.Nathan Smith has recovered from an abdominal injury•AFP/Getty Images

Tom Latham will take the wicketkeeping gloves and will also make his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final. Latham had been sidelined from the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket since his century for Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast in July.Along with Smith, Canterbury seam-bowling allrounder Zak Foulkes has also been picked in the squad. Foulkes has played just two internationals so far and in September, he hit back-to-back fifties for New Zealand A in Benoni in the unofficial ODI series. Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra are the other allrounders in the side.Henry, who is the highest wicket-taker among seamers in ODIs in 2025, with 24 strikes in nine innings at an average of 15.50, will lead the attack.This will be Walter’s first stint with the New Zealand ODI side as their head coach. “The ODI side has been very successful for a long period of time, as the current ICC ranking of number two suggests,” Walter said. “We have an experienced core of players and as a team, are very clear on how we want to play. This is very much the start of our journey to the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2027 and I know the group are excited to get going in this series against a quality England side.”New Zealand’s ODI group will assemble in Tauranga on Friday ahead of Sunday’s opening game. The second ODI will be played in Hamilton on October 29, while England’s tour will conclude with the third ODI in Wellington on November 1.The ODI series will overlap with the men’s Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s premier domestic one-day tournament, which will start on October 25 across various venues. The Ford Trophy will kick off New Zealand’s domestic summer for a second year in a row. The Ford Trophy will start on October 25, followed by the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HBJ) taking off on November 15.

New Zealand ODI squad

Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young

The commentator’s iconic five-word summation of the Brisbane Test captured the essence of India’s victory against all odds

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Dec-2024What’s your favourite commentary moment? Is it a moment of great commentary, or is it simply a great moment commentated upon? Sometimes the moment is big enough that the words don’t need to say all that much. Ravi Shastri and Ian Smith weren’t telling you anything you didn’t know when they told you that Dhoni had finished it off in style, and that England had won by the barest of margins, but the weight of the moments they described transfigured their words, turning them iconic. You probably didn’t just read them now; you heard them, in those voices.You could argue that the voices count for more than the words themselves, and that, in a job where you’re merely the garnish to what viewers can see for themselves, there’s nothing quite as valuable as the ability to convey emotion. It’s why the stints of Shastri and Smith always seem to coincide with the big finishes.Sometimes, though, a commentator goes above and beyond, and unearths a line that plays with the possibilities of language while capturing a moment’s zeitgeist. Vivek Razdan did this on January 19, 2021, when Rishabh Pant drove Josh Hazlewood down the ground at the Gabba and completed one of Test cricket’s greatest turnarounds.Related

• 'When you leave cricket, you will realise what you have done': Inside India's 2021 Gabba miracle

• Rishabh Pant: 'One of the biggest things in my life right now'

• Stats – India breach the Gabba fortress

• India have created the greatest moment in their Test history

• The Gabba result has done justice to the game we love

If you were watching the Hindi feed, this is what you heard when the ball rolled into the boundary cushion at long-off: Gabba Seldom have five words said so much.No one had beaten Australia at the Gabba in 31 Tests over 32 years. In the closing stages of the previous Test match, in Sydney, Australia captain Tim Paine had shown his frustration at his team’s inability to turn 1-1 into 2-1 by reminding India’s match-saving sixth-wicket pair that they had to come to this fortress next. “See you at the Gabba, mate.”Poetry in emotion: Razdan’s years of study paid off with the perfect denouement is a weighty, richly textured Urdu-Hindi word whose meaning lies somewhere between – and somewhere outside, too – arrogance, conceit, condescension, disdain, pride and vanity. With that one bit of alliteration, Razdan took in both the gravitas of Australia’s Gabba record and the hubris of Paine’s taunt: the Gabba’s now lay shattered.Razdan says the words came to him spontaneously, in the release of all the emotion built up over the preceding weeks: 36 all out in Adelaide followed by the departure of India’s captain; the comeback in Melbourne; the draw in Sydney sealed by a pair battling a torn hamstring and a bad back; the decimation of India’s bowling attack by injury, and the improbable competitiveness of the ragtag unit that took the field in Brisbane.”Each and every day, each and every game, there were so many different people who were coming up and raising their hand and showing that sort of character, and what they were made of,” Razdan says. “So these emotions were building over time, over all those days and Test matches. By the time we got to the fifth day of that final Test match, needing more than 300 runs, with so many things said against that team, the emotions were so high.”The way everything transpired, it was as if we were living on a different planet. And this was a time when the entire world was going through the Covid pandemic, so those emotions were also somewhere inside that. People are suffering, you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. In that sort of environment, when somebody comes up like this and does what they did, it was unbelievable.”I am a big believer in destiny and I’m so grateful that I was doing that stint and I was there on the mic on that day, and luckily, with the blessing of the almighty, those particular words came to me. They weren’t words, they were a feeling and an emotion.”An unheralded Pant became the hero of India’s unlikely win•Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty ImagesMoments later, Razdan let himself go once more as the producers cut to shots of India’s players embracing the hero of their run chase. It’s hard to imagine, now, that Pant started the series out of India’s XI, with Wriddhiman Saha preferred in Adelaide. It’s even more unimaginable that it was a reasonable choice then, given the challenge of the pink ball under lights and how far ahead Saha was of Pant as a pure keeper. Pant faced severe scrutiny over his keeping once he came into the side, and for all the runs he scored, his methods came in for widespread criticism whenever he was dismissed, even when he made 97 in Sydney.As Pant soaked in the winning feeling, Razdan ventriloquised: “There are virtues within me, shortcomings too. Ask yourself, seeker, what is it you want from me?”Lines like this speak of the decades of work Razdan put in to carve a niche for himself in a career he fell into, in some ways. He speaks English with an easy fluency that betrays his education at Delhi’s St Columba’s School, which includes Rahul Gandhi and Shahrukh Khan among its alumni. Hindi commentary wasn’t necessarily the obvious career path after Razdan’s fast-bowling days were done.”I’m a Kashmiri Pandit, and Hindi is my mother tongue,” Razdan says. “And my mom comes from UP, she comes from Lucknow. As a child, there were certain lines she always used to throw at me, you know? ” – you are telling someone to do certain things in a certain way, and you yourself are not able to do it. So my mom used to throw these lines at me, and I was always fascinated.”When I grew up, I never knew I’ll get into this line [of work], so once I started commentary, and then Hindi commentary came in in a big way, I started trying to speak to my mom – ‘Tell me all these lines that you heard as a child growing up in Lucknow.’ And it got me more interested in it.Into the breach: after India’s 2021 triumph, West Indies tore down Fortress Gabba earlier this year•Chris Hyde/Cricket Australia/Getty Images”Then I started reading, reading a lot. The poets of repute during that time, Mirza Ghalib, [Allama] Iqbal, all of them. The other thing that excited me was, these are certain lines or certain phrases being used over the years for portraying different emotions. How can I relate it to my sport? That is where the challenge came. So then I had to really go deep, study it, make my own adjustments, make my own lines, make my own rhymes. And over a period of time I kept writing them, kept writing them.”And that day, you know, the situation was such that it just brought out the best, because once you start studying it, you start saying these lines, you keep remembering them. Then you know when is the apt moment to use which line.”Razdan’s most famous line has gone on to transcend its moment in unimaginable ways. It has even been voiced by Shamar Joseph, that other recent stormer of Australia’s citadel. The line also portended a downgrade in the status of Brisbane, which was for so long the intimidating first port of call for visiting teams; it is now no longer Australia’s preferred venue for the start of their home season.As another Gabba Test begins, then, one thing is certain. Whether Australia win or lose, the is gone.

Newcastle United’s December fixture list is looking extremely busy already.

By the time the action-packed month closes, Eddie Howe’s Toon will have played eight games in all competitions, with Bayer Leverkusen up next for the frantic Magpies in the Champions League.

So far for Howe and Co, it’s been one draw and one win in the hectic month, with the 2-1 win over Burnley secured last time out in the Premier League far more nervy than it needed to be, after the hosts had gifted the ten-man Clarets a penalty right at the death.

Thankfully, no late fightback was on the cards, but with fixture congestion obviously going to become a big issue the more the month goes on, some changes could be on the agenda for the trip to Germany on Wednesday night, whether it’s because of tired legs or an actual drop in performance.

Where Eddie Howe needs to rotate against Leverkusen

With 17 shots tallied up on the Burnley goal throughout, Newcastle, arguably, should have notched up a far more comprehensive win against Scott Parker’s valiant visitors.

Nick Woltemade didn’t cover himself in much glory up top, in this regard, with just 18 touches of the ball passing him by, leading to zero on-target shots being powered at Martin Dubravka’s busy goal.

With Yoane Wissa back and available for selection after a lengthy injury, too, it could well be the perfect time to test out the ex-Brentford striker from the start against Leverkusen, with the German dismissed as having a “sloppy” performance, as per the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope.

He wasn’t the only performer on the pitch that stood out for all the wrong reasons, though, with Jacob Ramsey struggling throughout, next to Bruno Guimaraes, who grabbed another memorable Toon strike.

Sandro Tonali and Joelinton will likely walk back into the midfield spots ahead of Ramsey, who would give up the handball that gifted Zian Flemming a 94th-minute lifeline.

Anthony Elanga also continues to look lost in Newcastle black and white, with just one of his seven dribbles coming off against Burnley, but other Newcastle faces managed to cement their first-team position even more on Saturday afternoon, as this often hit-and-miss attacker continues to turn around his initially underwhelming season.

Newcastle's "best player" is now undroppable again

Newcastle have been very hit and miss so far this season, but with three Premier League victories now from their last four clashes in the tough division, Howe will hope his wobbly team have turned a corner.

Anthony Gordon certainly has, with the ex-Everton winger’s days of drawing blanks in league action this season firmly over, as he has now converted two crucial penalties back-to-back at St. James’ Park.

Without the England international’s ice-cold precision from the spot, the Magpies might well have been staring at two completely different results.

It’s been a very sharp turnaround in fortunes for the 24-year-old, with one analyst claiming that Gordon had entered “Gabriel Obertan territory” earlier in the campaign when he was consistently drawing blanks in the Premier League.

Obertan would only go on to score three goals for the Toon across a difficult 77-game spell, having never lived up to his early hype in England, when on the books of Manchester United.

Thankfully, Gordon now looks to have recaptured his gung-ho best, away from looking passive down the channels, with Howe – come the full-time whistle of the Burnley win – even labelling the Liverpool-born forward as the “best player” on the pitch as his “direct running” ultimately helped Newcastle overcome a stern Clarets battle.

Looking at the table above, too, Gordon has the chance to firm up why he deserves to be one of Howe’s first names on the teamsheets by putting in another memorable showing in the Champions League at the BayArena, having mustered up a sublime four goals and one assist this season in Europe’s first-class competition.

With a whirlwind 37 goals and assists amassed over his previous two seasons on Tyneside, too, Gordon will hope he can enter into another purple patch of form after suffering from some shaky moments here and there this campaign, off the back of his manager’s glowing words.

There’s certainly plenty of action ahead for Gordon to sink his teeth into, as he prays more words of praise come his way soon from his manager and beyond, alongside Newcastle continuing to pick up more wins.

Fewer touches than Ramsdale & 1 duel won: Newcastle star could be dropped

This Newcastle star struggled in the 2-1 win vs. Burnley

By
Joe Nuttall

5 days ago

The Tampa Bay Rays rallied back to beat the San Francisco Giants, 2-1, on Saturday night but their manager, Kevin Cash, wasn't around to see the team score their winning runs as he was tossed from the game in the eighth inning after yelling a profane message at the home plate umpire.

Tampa's Chandler Simpson thought he had drawn a key walk in the eighth inning when a 3-1 pitch by Jose Butto appeared to be a bit low. Simpson made a move to first, but had to quickly stop after home plate umpire Dan Iassogna called it a strike.

Cash didn't love that call at all and let Iassogna know about it.

"That's f—— down and you know it's down!," Cash yelled from the Rays' dugout. He was quickly ejected and ran out on the field to yell at Iassogna a little more before heading back to the locker room.

Here's how that played out:

Simpson would go on to hit a single in that at-bat and he later scored the Rays' winning run.

Cash must have loved seeing that while watching on TV from the Rays' clubhouse.

Meet Drew Gilbert. The Giants rookie outfielder has hit .242 with four home runs and an .757 OPS since he was called up a month ago. He also likes to get choked in the dugout, which he has apparently talked teammate Matt Chapman into doing multiple times since he joined the team.

During San Francisco's win over the Diamondbacks on Monday the broadcast ran a montage of Gilbert's antics from the game. They included getting choked by Chapman, slapping things and shaking uncontrollably.

Earlier this month teammate Willy Adames said that Gilbert comes in each day like he "has new batteries," is hilarious and brought energy to the club that the Giants needed. Gilbert was traded to the Giants organization in late July as part of the trade that sent Tyler Rogers to the Mets and he quickly made his MLB debut and an impression.

The official MLB X account also posted a montage of Gilbert doing things like getting choked last week.

The Giants have won 12 of their last 15 games and are now just three games out of the final Wild Card spot. Ironically, they'll need the Mets to choke to sneak into the postseason.

Antonio Rudiger and Real Madrid have mutually agreed to pause contract extension talks until 2026 as the defender recovers from a significant muscle injury, according to reports in Spain. The 32-year-old’s priority is to stay, but he is not short of options, with a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia on the table and his former club Chelsea monitoring the situation.

• Rudiger's recovery stalls contract dialogue

  Rudiger and Madrid had opened preliminary discussions regarding a contract renewal, but talks are now on pause, according to a report from Spanish outlet .

  The 32-year-old's current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu expires at the end of the season and initial conversations between the club and the player's representatives reportedly began several months ago, with financial figures already on the table and a mutual desire to reach an agreement. However, these negotiations have been mutually postponed following the muscle injury the German international sustained in late September.

  The decision to halt negotiations was made by common accord, with both the player and the club feeling it was not the appropriate time to finalise figures while Rudiger focuses on his recovery.

  The 81-cap Germany international has been sidelined for months with a hamstring injury that required surgery, and his expected return date is not until mid-December 2025.

  The established roadmap, according to , is to resume the dialogue in the early part of 2026. This restart is contingent on Rudiger returning to first-team action and demonstrating that his physical level remains that of an "indisputable pillar" for Carlo Ancelotti's defence.

  The club initiated the talks months ago, signalling their intent to keep the former Chelsea man as an important part of their sporting project.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  Defender's stance clear amid external interest

  The report adds that Rudiger's desire is unequivocally to continue at Real Madrid. He is said to be happy with the project, his role in the team and his life in the Spanish capital.

  This firm stance comes despite the defender not being short of suitors. Significant interest has reportedly emerged from Saudi Arabia, with clubs prepared to present an "economically potent" offer that would surpass the financial terms Madrid can table.

  Furthermore, his former club, Chelsea, has reportedly not closed the door on a potential return. The Premier League side, which Rudiger left on a free transfer in 2022, are said to maintain a cordial relationship with his entourage.

  Despite these lucrative and familiar options, Rudiger's priority remains clear: to continue wearing the white of Real Madrid.

• 'I would do it again': Rudiger on playing through pain

  Rudiger's current hamstring injury follows a gruelling two-year period where he played almost constantly for club and country. The report notes that the defender previously played through "a lot of pain" with a meniscus issue, highlighting his commitment.

  In a recent statement addressing his recovery, Rudiger was clear about his frustration and his focus.

  "There’s nothing I hate more than being injured. I’ll be back soon," he said. "I needed this time because the preseason after the Club World Cup was very short. I need a little more time. I’m really looking forward to returning soon. I needed this time to disconnect, both mentally and physically. I’m happy to be back."

  Reflecting on his decision to play through previous discomfort, Rudiger was defiant about his mentality.

  "What happened was crazy. But I would do it again if necessary," he stated. "I was in pain, but that's just me. I always want to help, and I could still sprint. That's why I said, 'Why not?' I would do it again."

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• Bernabeu hierarchy value leadership and mentorship

  Madrid's interest in retaining the 32-year-old extends beyond his on-pitch aggression and defensive attributes. The club's technical staff reportedly value him as a "current leader and a reference" for the squad's younger players.

  His impact is measured not only in successful tackles but also in his leadership and character. highlights that Rudiger is considered a natural mentor within the dressing room. He has forged a "big brother" relationship with emerging centre-back Dean Huijsen, actively helping the youngster integrate and understand the high demands of playing for Real Madrid.

  This off-pitch influence is complemented by his personal stability. Rudiger is described as being in a moment of "personal plenitude." He is reportedly happy in Madrid, residing in La Finca with his family, who are fully adapted to life in the city. He is a popular and respected figure in the dressing room, and the club views this contentment as a significant factor in their desire to secure his continuity.