Real Madrid are leading the race for Manchester United transfer target Antonio Rudiger.
The Chelsea defender’s contract is due to expire this summer, and with sanctions placed against the club, they have been unable to tie him down to a new deal.
Now, it looks like Real Madrid are leading the race to sign the German defender, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich both withdrawing, according to Fabrizio Romano in the tweet below.
Toni Rüdiger has not signed with any club yet. Real Madrid are now the closest to find an agreement, talks ongoing for months. Real Madrid are on it since December. ?? #RealMadrid
PSG, interested. Man United and Bayern, out of the race… and Chelsea situation still not changed. pic.twitter.com/r0Ja1yMFxO
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 23, 2022
Rudiger has shown he is most comfortable playing in a back three, so it will be interesting to see if he can adapt to Carlo Ancelotti’s system. Real Madrid traditionally play a back four, so the Italian manager will be hoping Rudiger can prove himself if he moves to Spain.
Manchester United recently appointed Erik ten Hag as manager, so their transfer targets may change in the coming months. Rudiger is comfortable playing in a possession-based system so would suit Ten Hag’s style, but he may want to pursue players who have regularly played in a back four.
Rudiger may still sign a new deal at Chelsea if their takeover is solved quickly, but uncertainty has led to him having discussions with some of the biggest clubs around Europe.