Sergio Ramos has returned home to continue his illustrious career with first club Sevilla after turning down interest from the Saudi Pro League.
Ramos has been a free agent since leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract over the summer. He had spent two years in France, making 58 appearances and winning Ligue 1 twice.
The veteran defender, who turned 37 in March and collected four Champions League titles during 16 glittering years with Real Madrid, isn't ready to retire just yet. Sevilla have now confirmed that Ramos has returned to the club he played for until 2005.
Born and raised in the local province, Ramos had broken into the first-team at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in the early months of 2004 and made 42 appearances in all competitions during the course of the 2004/05 campaign. Madrid then triggered his €27m release clause aged just 19.
90min understands that Ramos actively rejected an offer to go to Saudi Arabia. Former Madrid teammate Karim Benzema, the player who succeeded him as club captain at the Bernabeu, had been trying to persuade the centre-back join him at Al Ittihad – but Ramos said no.
As a free agent, Ramos is not bound by the transfer deadline that passed in Europe's major leagues on Friday. But with clubs getting ready to wrap up their business in the final days of the summer window, he had been offered around to a handful who might be in need of a defensive boost.
90min understands that Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich were all approached. All three kept Ramos in mind, although his salary request was large and no offers were put forward.
Manchester United had been hoping to sign Benjamin Pavard to strengthen at the back if they could sell Harry Maguire. But the former captain's proposed move to West Ham collapsed, while 35-year-old Jonny Evans, who was recruited on a short-term summer contract, got a 12-month deal.
Chelsea had already spent close to £40m on Axel Disasi in early August and spent the final days of the transfer window tying up a deal for Manchester City forward Cole Palmer in excess of £40m.
Bayern, meanwhile, had also invested heavily in Kim Min-jae but were still hopeful of signing another defender to replace Pavard once he joined Inter. In the end, that didn't happen.
