As there’s still no movement on Antonio Rudiger signing a new contract with Chelsea, The Telegraph (subscription required) report that Real Madrid players now expect the defender to join next summer.
The 28-year-old is now entering the final six months of his contract with the Blues, meaning that he will actually be able to pre-negotiate a free transfer with foreign clubs once January starts.
Rudiger has battled back from being an outcast during the reign of Frank Lampard to the spine of Chelsea’s team, with solid performances at the back as they’ve got back on track with Thomas Tuchel.
The Telegraph report that the centre-back rejected a new deal worth £140,000-a-week over the summer, with the Germany international seeking around double that.
It’s added that Real Madrid are willing to pay that weekly wage of around £280,000 and with no signs of a renewed stay in west London, Los Blancos players now expect Rudiger to join them next summer.
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Rudiger has made 24 appearances across all competitions so far this season, adding to his phenomenal displays at the back with two goals and four assists as well.
Chelsea sit third in the Premier League, are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League and advanced to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup last week, the dampening cloud hanging over Rudiger’s future is a distraction that is now dominating the transfer headlines.
The defensive framework at Madrid could actually be one that Rudiger settles into effortlessly, as Thibaut Courtois used to be the man in between the sticks at Stamford Bridge and the former Stuttgart ace also David Alaba, the superstar defender that he tried to convince to join Chelsea last summer.
Of course, Rudiger would also be reunited with Eden Hazard if he moved to the Bernabeu outfit.
Whilst Chelsea could’ve never foresaw the resurgence of Rudiger under Tuchel, the club have left themselves at risk of losing one of the world’s best defenders right now for nothing by allowing the contract impasse to run on.