Romano provides update on Chelsea's links with 'very talented' German starlet
According to a tweet by Ekrem Konur (h/t ESPN), Inter Milan will look to commence talks with Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger. The Serie A club are one of the latest teams to join the race for the signature of the 29-year-old centre-back.
The German international is in demand at the moment as his current contract with the Blues expires at the end of the 2021-22 season. The former AS Roma player has been a key part of our defensive setup under Thomas Tuchel and losing him on a free transfer could be a huge blow to the club.
The West Londoners also have a very real chance of losing Andreas Christensen for free, given that he too is in the same boat as Rudiger. Losing two such players in the same window will leave Chelsea with an added headache when it comes to their summer transfer business.
Rudiger’s sturdy presence at the back and dominance in the air have been pivotal factors to our success since Tuchel took over. We have seen the former VfB Stuttgart player witness a more prominent role under the German manager and his performances have helped create a solid defensive foundation at the club.
Tuchel remains ‘confident’ that Antonio Rudiger will stay at the club past his current season. It is also believed that the German defender would like to stay with the West Londoners but a disagreement as to the appropriate wage packet has been the key factor of discontent amongst both parties. That being said, we can’t really make any claims until the 29-year-old puts pen to paper on a new deal.
There has been an uneasy sense of oscillation regarding the long-term future of Antonio Rudiger for a while now. This has put the club in a difficult situation and the recent sanctions that were imposed on us have made an already difficult task even tougher.
The German international has now made 191 appearances bagging 10 goals and seven assists for the Blues across all competitions to date. At 29, Rudiger could be in the prime years of his professional career, and his experience at the elite level could be an asset to most clubs in the world.
In light of recent developments, Chelsea could do well to add another young and sturdy centre-back in the upcoming transfer window. Even if they do manage to keep the German defender there seems to be a looming uncertainty around the long-term future of Christensen and Azpilicueta.
The 29-year-old defender’s previous experience in Serie A could be a big plus for the Nerazzurri. The Italian giants seem to be a team on the rise with their recent exploits in Serie A as well as Europe and could therefore be a tempting proposition for any professional.
All of this interest could spell bad news for the club, should they be genuinely interested in keeping the German international at Stamford Bridge past this season. With a lot of twists and turns and the rumour mill waiting to pounce at any opportunity, it could be fair to say that only time will tell whether or not Rudiger will be a Chelsea player in the coming campaign.
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