Chelsea defender lowers wage demands as Italian manager personally requests transfer

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has requested Florentino Perez for the signature of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger

According to Marca English, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has shown a personal interest in signing Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger

Rudiger’s Chelsea future is currently hanging by a thread. Even though the German star hasn’t announced his decision yet, the probability of his departure from the club remains higher than that of him staying put- given that he is yet to put pen to paper on a deal that expires this summer.

As the situation prevails, many European heavyweight teams have taken a close interest in the Chelsea defender. Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United have all kept their eyes and ears open regarding the ex-AS Roma’s man situation at Stamford Bridge in recent months.

Antonio Rudiger has been one of the best players of Chelsea in recent seasons. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Antonio Rudiger has been one of the best players of Chelsea in recent seasons. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Now it is believed that the Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti has personally requested president Florentino Perez to make an attempt in regards to the signature of the German star. 

Rudiger has apparently lowered his salary demands, which now makes any potential deal a bit more favourable for the La Liga leaders. This, of course, comes as a blow to the Blues faithful, who are set to see their club one of their best players for nothing this summer.

Antonio Rudiger to leave Chelsea? 

The increasing interest from top teams suggests that it would be tough for Chelsea to keep the 29-year-old Rudiger at the club. It is not known what figure can make Rudiger want to extend his stay at Chelsea but any negotiations look seemingly complex considering the club’s ongoing ownership dilemma. 

Antonio Rudiger is a leader on the pitch. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Antonio Rudiger is a leader on the pitch. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Even though the off the field contract dilemma has been going on for a long time, Rudiger hasn’t shown a lack of commitment even once while featuring for us. In contrast, he has been one of our better players who gives it his all on the pitch.

Real Madrid’s aggressive interest in Rudiger suggests they are open to meeting his new wage demands– one which suits them more than the proposition the German’s entourage put forth earlier. If that’s the case, a move to Santiago Bernabeu may be on the cards.

It would be challenging for our board to find a like-for-like replacement for Rudiger. Not only are such experienced, talented central defenders hard to find in this day and age, but they would also cost a pretty penny in today’s market.

Can Carlo Ancelotti convince Real Madrid president to sign Rudiger? (Copyright: Dave Thompson)
Can Carlo Ancelotti convince Real Madrid president to sign Rudiger? (Copyright: Dave Thompson)

However, our club’s growth isn’t dependent on one player. We have a quality team, and if Rudiger leaves, our board would be wise to bring in a new face that can lead our defence for the foreseeable future. With Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta also looking likely to leave this summer, Thiago Silva’s age is another headache for Tuchel to deal with.

As good as the ex-AC Milan star is, he is not immortal, and at 37, he would naturally show some signs of decline in his game- especially the physical side of things.

More Chelsea News

Trevoh Chalobah was one name Chelsea fans would have trusted to become a regular for us from next season, but given Tuchel’s surprise decision to not hand him a single minute this April, question marks are raised about what the future holds for the Englishman at the Bridge.