Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger chose against joining Tottenham Hotspur
According to The Athletic (h/t The Daily Mail), Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger chose against joining Tottenham Hotspur as he did not want to have a falling out with the supporters.
The German ace has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea this season. He has not played a single minute and does not appear to be in Frank Lampard’s plans.
With Thiago Silva’s signing effectively making Rudiger the club’s fifth-choice centre-back, he was expected to leave the club on loan.
One of the clubs keen on him were arch-rivals Tottenham. Now managed by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, positive talks were held between Rudiger and the Portuguese tactician.
While Chelsea were ready to part ways with the German, the player himself chose against it. According to the report, he was worried about the fallout with the fans if he joined one of the club’s biggest rivals.
The 27-year-old will now stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place in the squad.
With the Euros coming up next summer, it is imperative that Rudiger gains enough game time to earn a place in the Germany squad.
Hopefully, this will push him to reach higher levels in his performance. While we have made a number of defensive reinforcements, the Blues rearguard is still only an evolving entity.
The prospect of a motivated and rejuvenated Rudiger throwing his name into the hat will only benefit the competition and quality made available to Lampard in defence.
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A number of Europe’s big guns were linked with a move for Rudiger. The likes of PSG, AC Milan, Roma and Barcelona were all touted to make a move but failed to land the player.
With his future now at the Bridge, Rudiger can hopefully replicate the form that we all know he is capable of.