Chelsea and Antonio Rudiger haven’t spoken about a new contract since a while
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea and their star defender Antonio Rudiger haven’t indulged in any discussions over a new contract recently. The defender is thought to be attracting interest from top clubs like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain as well as bitter rivals Manchester United
The Blues have a plethora of silverware ever since Thomas Tuchel took over the managerial duties and Antonio Rudiger has been a pivotal part of the setup. He has been at the heart of the defence and helped guide the West Londoners to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup as well as the FIFA Club World Cup.
The 28-year-old has a current contract which sees him pocket £90,000-a-week in wages as of now. This makes him one of the lowest-paid senior players in the club despite becoming a pivotal figure in the backline under the German manager.
In a report from The Athletic, it was suggested that the player turned down a renewed deal of £140,000 and is holding out for a fee in the region of £225,000-a-week to pen a new deal with the West Londoners. The Stamford Bridge outfit could be facing a possible defensive crisis with Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta also having contracts that expire at the end of the season.
Chelsea and the possibility of a defensive exodus?
Thomas Tuchel has developed a system that is built on the foundation of a solid defence. His tactical preference of playing a three-man defence means that an extra centre-back is always welcome. It could be a devastating blow should the Blues lose Rudiger, Christensen, or Azpilicueta at the end of the season, that too on a free transfer.
Whilst the Blues have the likes of Thiago Silva who possesses a vast amount of experience, asking him to fill in regularly that too at 37 across several competitions could be a big ask. The Blues also have up-and-coming defenders like Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah but the duo are still in the budding stages of their professional football career and asking them to fill in for the first team regularly could be too much pressure at such a tender age.
The Stamford Bridge outfit avoided spending huge sums of cash in the January transfer window and could be tempted to make a splash this coming summer. The West Londoners have been linked to the likes of Adam Webster and Jules Kounde recently but only the future can tell whether or not any concrete deal is made.
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Whilst Rudiger has demanded a significant increase in wages, one could argue that his dominating presence at the back and consistent performances in the last couple of seasons could merit such a claim. That being said, it should now be seen whether the club chooses to give in and accept the terms put forward by Rudiger or look for a possible defensive reshuffle in the next transfer window.