Transfer News: Chelsea open to Antonio Rudiger exit for the right offer
According to transfer news from The Guardian, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel would be open to selling star defender Antonio Rudiger if the right offer arrived this summer.
A player who has been at the club for over four years now, Rudiger arrived at Chelsea from AS Roma in 2017 and quickly established himself as a regular in the side.
However, things looked gloomy for the German international under Frank Lampard as the former Blues boss froze him out of the side, preferring to use Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen over him.
But, Lampard’s sacking midway through the last season came as a blessing in disguise for Rudiger, who was brought back into the fold by Tuchel. And the imposing centre-back played a crucial hand in Chelsea going on to win the UEFA Champions League, putting some stellar displays in the three-man backline.
However, heading into the summer, Rudiger is in the final year of his contract with Chelsea, as is fellow defender Christiansen. And with the Blues working on a deal to bring in Jules Kounde from Sevilla, there will need to be a casualty from the current crop of central defenders at the Bridge.
And, the report claims Rudiger could be the man who could be offloaded by Tuchel and Chelsea, provided the right offer arrived for the former AS Roma defender.
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That might not be the best move from Chelsea. Rudiger showed in the second half of the last season that he can be an asset to the team with his displays as well as his leadership. At a time when both Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva are in the final phases of their career, it becomes important for the club to hold on to someone like Rudiger, who is a natural leader.