Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger has agreed to join Juventus in the summer transfer window
According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Metro), German defender Antonio Rudiger will leave Chelsea in the summer on a free transfer and has agreed to a four-year contract with Italian giants Juventus.
The 29-year-old centre-back has been one of the main players for Thomas Tuchel ever since he replaced Frank Lampard at Chelsea. The German is said to be very keen on keeping his countryman at Stamford Bridge but reports have emerged that Rudiger has agreed on a fresh chapter in Turin.
Long time owner Roman Abramovich saw his assets frozen by the UK Government and with Chelsea operating on a special licence, they have been banned from renewing player contracts. Juventus appear to have taken advantage of this by swooping in for Rudiger and reaching an agreement with the player.
The 29-year-old has been one of the main pillars of Thomas Tuchel’s defence. Rudiger’s authoritative presence, leadership, defensive abilities and his abilities on the ball has resulted in the centre-back emerging as one of the standout players at Stamford Bridge.
While the Blues wish to keep Rudiger, the German believes that he deserves to be paid on the same level as Chelsea’s highest earners. This, along with the ban on renewals means that Chelsea are unable to tie down their defensive rock to a long-term deal.
Not the only one?
While Rudiger appears to be on his way out of London, he may not be the only name to leave Stamford Bridge this season, especially in defence.
Andreas Christensen has reportedly already agreed on a deal to join Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta whose contract is also up at the end of the 2021-22 season.
This will leave the Chelsea squad extremely short in the defensive region with Thiago Silva and the young Trevor Chalobah the only viable options in that area.
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Chelsea are going through an ownership change and the new owners may have a lot of things to sort out. The first one on that list is to probably splurge in the market for more than one central defender. As it stands, Rudiger is not the only name leaving Stamford Bridge.
