Antonio Rudiger ready to negotiate his Chelsea future
Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Football.london), Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has hinted that he is ready for contract negotiations with the club.
The German international saw opportunities hard to come by under Frank Lampard and looked to be on his way out. However, Thomas Tuchel’s appointment has seen his fortunes change.
He has played all five games under the 47-year-old and looks set to become a mainstay for the remainder of the season. With his contract expiring in 2022, the time may be ripe to have a conversation regarding his future.
It would appear that Rudiger always intended to stay on at Chelsea irrespective of who was in charge. With him playing a more prominent role now, there is all the more reason for him to stay put.
“Lampard in or out, I would have stayed anyway.”
Rudiger, however, is aware that whether he stays or not is not down to him. He appears to have sounded out to Marina Granovskaia that his situation needs to be paid attention to.
“I cannot give myself a new contract. The talks have to come from the board, from Marina [Granovskaia], I’m very calm when it comes to that.”
Rudiger on his day is an excellent defender. He, however, lacks consistency and that has hurt us in the past. With a new manager and a fresh start, he could be yet to write his best chapters in Chelsea history.
For now, the omens look good. He is back in the playing eleven and has so far impressed. A second opportunity does not often come, especially at a club such as Chelsea.
It remains to be seen what the club plan to do.
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Rudiger joined Chelsea in 2017 from AS Roma. He has since made 129 appearances for the club, scoring six goals. He was part of the Blues squad that won the FA Cup in 2018 and the Europa League in 2019. (h/t Transfermarkt)