Chelsea won’t be able to keep standout defender Antonio Rudiger at Stamford Bridge after all. According to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Rudiger has already reached an agreement with Real Madrid and will be playing in La Liga next season.
Rudiger is out of contract in the summer, so he is set to sign with Real as a free agent. The two sides are still hammering out the details, but the 29-year-old German is expected to ink a four-year deal.
Chelsea was keen on keeping Rudiger in London but couldn’t find common ground with his representatives despite offering a significant salary bump. It is believed that recent sanctions by the UK government and the uncertainty about the ownership also influenced Rudiger’s wish to move on.
On the other hand, Real was considered out of Rudiger sweepstakes earlier in the year. The Spanish club didn’t want to get into the bidding war with the likes of Barcelona and PSG, believing the interest of other clubs would drive the player’s price up. However, things changed in recent weeks when the player himself expressed a wish to play at Santiago Bernabeu and reduced his salary demands.
Antonio Rudiger joined Chelsea from Seria A side Roma in 2017. Since arriving in Premier League, he has had ups and downs but recently emerged as one of the most reliable center backs in soccer. Rudiger especially benefited from the arrival of manager Thomas Tuchel, who helped him take his game to another level.
Rudiger played almost 200 games for Chelsea in all competitions and was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League last season.
