Saudi Arabia, Chelsea, PSG and Galatasaray leave Thibaut Courtois alone in danger

Real Madrid's play doesn't convince and doubts are growing in the club's environment week after week. Even so, the competitive reality supports the project: the whites are second in LaLiga and keep themselves within the top 8 in the Champions League. The feelings are not good, but the team is still alive in every competition and has room to react.

In attack, Mbappé has been the main reason why the ship has not sunk in the most unstable moments. Behind him, Thibaut Courtois is once again the name that explains why Real Madrid has not completely collapsed. When the team breaks, he appears with saves from another planet and earns points that seem lost.

Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid's life insurance

At 33 years old, Thibaut Courtois is the best goalkeeper in the world by a huge margin over the rest. His imposing physique, together with agility that is unusual for his size, turns him into a constant wall in every match. The ease with which he gets impossible hands to the ball ends up driving opponents to despair and spreads confidence even when the team doesn't have it.

However, Courtois is also human, and That's why the defensive structure is still key to protecting him. The center-backs must hold the box, anticipate, and prevent the Belgian from living under siege every Sunday. When that help doesn't exist, not even the best can cover everything.

Antonio Rüdiger's future has a full impact on Thibaut Courtois

In theory, Huijsen and Militao were expected to be the dominant pairing of the immediate future, but the latest events have shown that they can't be. The Brazilian's physical fragility is starting to be alarming, while the Spaniard's inconsistency complicates his presence on big nights. That combination leaves Thibaut Courtois far too exposed, and the team splits easily when the opponent speeds up.

That's why every eye is on Antonio Rüdiger, right now the most reliable center-back at Real Madrid. His aggressiveness, tactical reading, and ability to recover make him the only one capable of holding the goal when the system becomes disorganized. Without him, the Belgian becomes a lonely shield against constant waves.

The problem is that Antonio Rüdiger's contract ends in the summer of 2026 and his future is hanging in the air. According to several reports,  some clubs from Saudi Arabia are still watching closely, while the European market is also moving strongly by studying his situation. In that scenario, names such as PSG, Chelsea, or even Galatasaray appear, and they have asked about his availability in view of a possible change of scenery.

For now, Florentino's idea is that the German defender will leave Real Madrid's ranks in the summer. The president wants to bring in a younger center-back with more future to shore up Xabi Alonso's project. In this scenario, Thibaut Courtois is beginning to accept that he will have to say goodbye to Antonio Rüdiger, who seems destined for Saudi Arabia, PSG, Chelsea, or Galatasaray.