Transfer News: Thomas Tuchel addresses talks of new contract for Antonio Rudiger
Speaking in a press conference (h/t Football.london) before the game against Leicester City, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel lauded Antonio Rudiger for his recent performances and said that he has the full support of the club if he wants to stay.
The German defender has found a new lease of life under Thomas Tuchel. The former PSG boss has trusted his compatriot to start regularly in his defence, something which Frank Lampard didn’t do earlier in the season. (h/t Transfermarkt)
As it turns out, that decision has worked wonders. Since Tuchel’s appointment, the club has kept 9 clean sheets in 13 Premier League games in which Rudiger has played. That is certainly an impressive statistic.
Furthermore, the former AS Roma defender has played 90 minutes in all of Chelsea’s knockout games in the UEFA Champions League this year, where they are now in the final.
New deal on the horizon?
And Tuchel thinks that Rudiger is earning his new contract by such performances. Rudiger’s current deal runs until the summer of 2022.
“Nothing is better than what is doing for a new contract. If he wants to stay at the club he has our full support. He is speaking with his performances and has been amazing.”
The ex-PSG boss then went on to add what he thinks are some of Rudiger’s best traits and mentioned that the club is very happy to have him.
“He is very brave and full of energy in his defending. He is leading by example and has a very positive aggressivity in him. This is what we like. When he can channel all this into top performances. We are all very happy to have him.”
So, it is clear that the 28-year-old has the backing of the club if he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge. But his own stance would matter more in such a situation and that can flicker from time to time.
More Chelsea News:
- Transfer News: Chelsea and both Manchester clubs contacted over Lionel Messi transfer
- Transfer News: Chelsea keen on signing Mads Bayer, dubbed as the ‘next Kevin De Bruyne’
- Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta asks teammates to recover from FA Cup defeat and prepare for UCL final
And hence, we can only know better about the situation as time passes. But with Thiago Silva turning 37 this year and Fikayo Tomori looking likely to join AC Milan permanently, the Blues would hope that Rudiger puts pen to paper on a new deal.
