Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has spoken frankly about his contract situation with the Blues, speaking ahead of the Blues’ clash with Atletico Madrid tomorrow.
Rudiger’s Chelsea career looked to be effectively over when Frank Lampard was in charge at Stamford Bridge, but since his sacking, the German has emerged as a key figure in the Blues’ back-line.
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Since the departures of John Terry and Gary Cahill, Chelsea have not had much consistency in terms of the personnel at the back. Thomas Tuchel will be looking to change that, no doubt, as he looks to continue his brilliant defensive record since taking charge at the end of January.
Keeping hold of Rudiger would be a step closer to achieving that, and judging by his comments ahead of the Champions League second-leg clash with Atletico Madrid, you get the impression that the 28-year-old is keen on saying put.
Rudiger is quoted by the Telegraph saying:
“At the end of the day, I cannot give myself a contract so that is why I am waiting to see what happens. Everyone, me and the club know how much I like this club, so it’s down to people who make these types of decisions, but, at the moment, for me, it’s to concentrate on important matches and targets. The rest, I think, I’m sure we will resolve it.”
That puts the ball firmly in Chelsea’s court, and there’s little to suggest they wouldn’t want to keep him around.