Chelsea and Manchester United are not alone in their desire to recruit Stuttgart centre-back Antonio Rudiger this summer, with the 22-year-old also courting interest from some of Europe’s major clubs.
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Beyond Jose Mourinho’s English champions, giants from Portugal and France are also reported to be keen on the centre-back, while there is also a chance of competition from the Premier League.
“A lot of clubs have approached us to know more about Antonio,” began the player’s agent Benjamin Ippoliti, speaking to Calciomercato, “notably, FC Porto, AS Monaco, West Ham and several other British outfits.
“The player has a contract with Stuttgart until 2017, therefore all interested clubs must speak to the club [Stuttgart] before anything else.
“Only after that will we begin to evaluate our possibilities.”
The Stuttgarter Zeitung reported earlier this week that Chelsea were readying themselves for a bid for the Germany international, with a fee of €10 million being mooted for the strapping centre-back.
Similarly, the Express note that Manchester United are also targeting Rudiger, who is a self-confessed Arsenal fan.
However, beyond the clubs listed by Ippoliti, Le 10 Sport also report that Paris Saint-Germain are targeting the defender, who has himself admitted that he is keen to test himself in the Champions League.
The defender, who can also play on the right-side of the back four, featured 19 times for the Swabians this term as Alexander Zorniger’s side recorded a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Bundesliga this season.
Rudiger made his Germany debut in May 2014 but ultimately missed out on Joachim Low’s World Cup squad. The stopper had previously been eligible for Sierra Leone.