Chelsea were seemingly on course to sign Roma defender Antonio Rudiger, but it’s been claimed that Manchester City could swoop in and ruin their plans.
Antonio Conte is desperate to bolster his defence having seen Nathan Ake leave the club this week to go along with John Terry’s departure when Chelsea arguably needed defensive reinforcements before that.
According to The Mirror, Rudiger has been heavily linked with a £35m move to Chelsea this week, but City are ready to hijack that move with a bid of their own for the 24-year-old.
It’s claimed that Pep Guardiola has been left frustrated that they missed out on Tiemoue Bakayoko, with the Monaco midfield set to join Chelsea in the coming days. In turn, he refuses to miss out on another target to the Blues, and is pushing for City to get in ahead of their Premier League rivals for the German international.
It’s added in the report that those close to Rudiger have suggested that he would be keen to work with Guardiola, and so Chelsea may be left furious over how this situation seems to be developing.
As for the player himself, having put a serious knee injury behind him last year, he was a key part of Roma’s success last season and established himself as a top defender in Serie A.
As a result, it’s no surprise to see him linked with the likes of Chelsea and City, with both clubs in need of bolstering their respective backlines, while Rudiger also offers versatility which will be very useful for both sides given the tactical flexibility of Conte and Guardiola.
It’s unclear at this stage as to where Rudiger will move, but the threat of Chelsea facing more transfer frustration will not be welcomed by fans.