Antonio Rüdiger's Prediction for Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid
The German center-back denied that Mbappé's arrival has affected the dressing room of the white team and predicted a bright future for the Frenchman at the club.
Antonio Rüdiger, the Real Madrid defender, stated that French star Kylian Mbappé, the marquee signing of the Madrid team in the summer transfer market, "will write his own story" because great players who have been at Madrid "always succeed."
"About Mbappé, you hear out there that he was going to change the locker room and things like that, but not at all. He is a simple guy, very mature, and very intelligent who is doing his job. He scores goals, influences the game, and the way he connects with Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Jude (Bellingham) is improving more and more."
"The great players who have been here have always succeeded, and he will write his own story," the German said on the podcast "The Inside Coop," where he also praised Bellingham.
"To be honest, coming to this type of club and having such an influence, neither he nor I expected it. When God marks his times, no one can avoid it, and he was there at the right moment," Rüdiger declared, acknowledging that the goal is the 'treble' (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League) but that it is "too early" to say.
Who would he sign?
When asked which center-back he would sign for Real Madrid, the 31-year-old player had no doubts: "I would sign William Saliba from Arsenal. I’m happy with Militao because he has come back from a serious injury and is returning to his best level, but there are many matches, and we would rotate, so Saliba would be great."
The German, who confessed that Karim Benzema is the best player he has ever played with, said that when Real Madrid wanted to sign him, "I couldn't believe it," and admitted that he shows his love for his teammates with 'slaps on the back.'
"Sometimes I wonder why I do it, but it’s how I show my love, and when I score, I get a lot of slaps back," said the player, who, despite being in his third season at the club, "cannot explain" what it is about the team that makes them never give up.