Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti addresses claims of pre-contract agreement with Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has issued a response to claims of reaching a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger. He was asked about the matter following his side’s 4-3 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
Thomas Tuchel has already confirmed that Rudiger will leave Stamford Bridge when his contract expires this summer. It is believed that the defender will sign a four-year deal with Real, earning him around £300,000-a-week in the process. Now, Ancelotti has addressed the subject following the first leg of the CL semis.
Speaking in the post-match interview to beIN SPORTS (h/t The Sun), Los Blancos‘ manager refused to accept that his side completed the signing of the German centre-back. What’s more, he gave a professional answer by refusing to talk about the matter due to Rudiger currently being under contract.
“Antonio Rudiger, who is this? He is a Chelsea player until… he is still a Chelsea player, and I cannot say anything about this.”
Disguised confirmation?
If anything, Ancelotti’s cheeky response at the start should give away the fact of the matter. It is unfortunate to see that we are set to lose one of our best performers since Tuchel has taken over the reins from Frank Lampard. However, the Blues must prepare for life past Rudiger as we do not have the time to dwell on the setback for too long.
Rudiger’s aggressiveness and dominating presence at the back would certainly be missed should he leave this summer. Moreover, his leadership skills and ability to lift his teammates would also fall in that category. It is for that reason the club must take his due exit seriously and find an adequate replacement for him.
The defence has always been our strong suit under Tuchel, and Rudiger has played a major part for that to be the case. Hence, we are put in a dire situation at this moment, considering how we would see one of the major cogs in the squad move to the Spanish capital on a free transfer.
What makes matters worse is how Andreas Christensen is set to join Barcelona for free after the current campaign. Cesar Azpilicueta could also depart West London to move to Camp Nou at the end of this term. That highlights how the new prospective owners must prioritise bolstering our backline this summer.
Thiago Silva would need to be moved out sooner rather than later, which further adds to our defensive woes. We do have options like Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and Levi Colwill to take over the reins, but it would be far too early to depend on them after this term.
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Hence, the club must do their best to back Tuchel by bringing in quality additions as a safety net for the potential defensive exodus that could unravel this summer. For now, the focus remains on the task at hand.
Finish strongly, get top four, and try and lift a trophy before the end of the season. Once the curtains are drawn, perhaps the club can prepare for what could be a very important summer window- hopefully, under new owners.