Real Madrid's recent successes go against Sergio Ramos' contract hopes
Nacho and Militao have done well stepping in and renewing Ramos' contract is now less of a priority. His contract will expire in 76 days...
Time is running out for Sergio Ramos. In just 76 days, his contract with Real Madrid will expire (30 June) and he still has not agreed new terms with the club. Since the captain and Florentino discussed the matter in person in Elche on 30 December last year, nothing has changed. The club made Ramos an offer which the player hasn't accepted and neither side has budged since that meeting little over three months ago. Madrid were clear about how their view the situation and their idea remains the same - the conditions have been laid out and are not up for negotiation because due to the current economic situation, the priority is making sure their books are balanced.
At that moment, every day that went strengthened Ramos' stance, because the team was struggling whenever he was unable to play. The stats show how important he is to the team - by December 2020, of the 10 Champions League games Madrid had played when Ramos was unavailable, they lost eight.
Bad luck for Ramos
However, things have changed since then. Sergio has suffered some bad luck - firstly he underwent an operation on his knee at the start of February and then he suffered a muscular injury which meant he missed El Clásico and both legs of the Champions League quarter final against Liverpool. To cap it all, he tested positive for coronavirus - just to complicate things a little more for Zidane, who was already without Varane - another victim of Covid-19. But their absence didn't affect the team negatively - quite the opposite, as the two players who came in to replace them, Nacho and Militão, have been superb.
Recent results have done wonders to enhance Militão's profile; the club paid 50 million euros for him in 2019 but until now, he hasn't fulfilled his potential. Added to that, Nacho has stepped in and delivered just when the team needed him most. The Spanish defender has always performed to his best, but now, aged 31, he is showing the best form of his career. What he has gained in maturity has enabled him to be a leader at the back during a decisive moment of the season. Until now, his role was more as a reliable back-up rather than a key player.
All of that shows Madrid that there is life without Ramos. The club's intention is that Ramos continues but it will be the player who has to accept the offer that is on the table. The players who have filled in when he has been absent have demonstrated that they have enough personality to handle the pressures the team will be under from here until the end of the campaign; and next season, the defence will probably be stregnthened with the arrival of David Alaba. It means that Ramos is no longer in a position where he can make his own demands…