Real Madrid are understood to have reached an agreement to extend defender Sergio Ramos’ contract by a further year and keep him at the Santiago Bernabéu until at least 2022.
There have been numerous reports suggesting that the Spaniard, who will soon enter the final year of his current deal, has been pushing for a long-term extension which would go against the club’s policy of offering one-year contracts to players over 30 years old.
Both sides have made no secret of their desire to get a deal done, with Ramos previously speaking of his desire to retire in Madrid, and AS state that the two parties have now reached an agreement and Ramos will pen a new one-year deal.
2022 is expected to be a significant year for Real as the new-and-improved Bernabéu will be unveiled, and Ramos wants to be part of that historical moment.
Rumours of a bumper offer from China were said to have created somewhat of a division between Ramos and Real officials, and the inability to agree on a new contract had prompted rumours that the centre back could leave the club, but Ramos previously insisted that any talk of a breakdown in a relationship is false.
“The relationship with the club is magnificent in every way,” he said back in February. “So there is no rush on any side – mine or the club.
“I’ve never made extra demands, I understand the club’s policy with players of a certain age. If the club wants me to stay, I’ll stay, no need to worry.
“It seems they want to provoke a confrontation between the club and Ramos and it will not be like that.”
Real’s plan is to keep Ramos around for another few years while he remains an elite defender, and that will give them time to find his replacement. Éder Militão will have the chance to prove himself, but RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano is also named as a likely candidate.
By the time we hit 2022, Ramos will have a decision to make about his future. It is accepted that it could well be time for him to retire when that deal expires, while there have also been rumours of a potential move to Major League Soccer.
In the meantime, Ramos remains fit, healthy and hungry to win trophies, and he hopes to be able to do so with Real.
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