Manchester United set to make a move for Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger
According to Marca (h/t ESPN), Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger could be on his way to rivals Manchester United due to the Red Devils’ interim coach Ralf Rangnick enjoying a “good relationship” with the player’s agent, Sehr Senesie.
Rudiger has been Chelsea’s best defender this season, hardly missing out on any game time or putting in a wrong foot while on the field. Coach Thomas Tuchel has relied on the centre-back throughout the campaign for protecting the Blues’ goal, and the German international has consistently delivered.
However, recent rumours seem to suggest that Manchester United may be in line to steal the defender from west London on a free transfer in the summer. European heavyweights Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich have also been linked with a move for the defender
Rudiger has been in contract negotiations with Chelsea all season and has reportedly demanded wages of around £220,000-a-week to stay at Stamford Bridge. Last August, the Blues had floated the German a £140,000-a-week deal in their efforts to renew his deal, but the player was said to be upset with their offer.
The 28-year-old defender has been Chelsea’s best player for the past couple of years, and since Tuchel’s arrival, the former Roma man has only stepped up his game and improved drastically. The player seems to have realised how important he is to the club’s rearguard, which explains why he could have been upset with the Blues’ salary offer, feeling that Chelsea need to appreciate his efforts more.
Man United is a club that can match his reported wage demands, but if the player is set to move up north to Manchester, then he would have to compete with Raphael Varane and club captain Harry Maguire to claim a place in central defence.
With reports from Spain signalling a probable exit for Rudiger at the end of the season, it comes as terrible news in a season where we have suffered at the back, being wrecked by injuries and Covid. The German, luckily, has been our only defensive player to have escaped these troubles during this campaign and is currently in the form of his life.
If we do not sort out his contract soon, we not only stand to lose our best defender but also someone in the prime years of his career. In a season that has been underwhelming for us at the back, Rudiger has stood tall and got us out of some difficult situations. It would not be a ridiculous claim to say that he has been one of the league’s best defenders during this season.
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It is upsetting to see a club with such a stature like ours not doing their utmost to hold on to their best players. What makes things worse is having to deal with reports that claim our best players would rather move to rival clubs, which could cause us more problems on the field.
Despite Tuchel staying calm about Rudiger’s contract situation, there have been no updates about any breakthrough in talks between the German defender and the Blues, which only makes this situation frustrating. With just months left until his contract at Stamford Bridge expires, the Blues are facing a race against time to reach a common consensus.