Chelsea are preparing another contract offer to their start centre-back Antonio Rudiger this month. The player has just six months remaining on his current contract and big clubs have started showing interest in him with direct contract offers. Manchester City are emerged as the latest club to show interest in Rudiger alongside Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Juventus.
The 28-year-old German defender has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and was a crucial member for the Blues who won the Champions League last season. This season, Rudiger has made 28 appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s side, more than any other player, which shows the manager’s trust in him.
The Blues are aware of the importance of keeping Antonio Rudiger at Stamford Bridge. His defensive partner Cesar Azpilicueta’s contract is also set to expire after six months and it has been reported that the club captain is looking to move to La Liga. The 37-year-old Brazilian ace Thiago Silva recently extended his contract with Chelsea but is struggling for fitness this season. Chelsea’s other options are Malang Sarr and Andreas Christensen, the latter is strongly linked with Borussia Dortmund’s move.
Thomas Tuchel is playing with a 3-4-3 formation this season and having four or five quality centre-backs is a must for the Blues to compete against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Chelsea sit in 2nd position in the league table with 43 points, 10 points behind leaders Manchester City. The Premier League title race is almost over but Chelsea and Liverpool will keep fighting till the game week 38. Chelsea reached the finals of the EFL Cup after beating Tottenham Hotspur by 3-0 on aggregate. The Blues also progressed to the next round of FA Cup after beating Chesterfield in their last match.
Manchester City To Steal Rudiger With A Better Contract Offer Than Chelsea?
Chelsea are trying to extend Rudiger’s contract since the last season but were backed off after player’s wage demands. It was reported that the player’s relationship with the board had taken the hit due to that but according to a report from the Mirror, they are willing to offer a new improved contract to Rudiger. The former player has received strong interest and offers from the other European giants but has yet to decide his next move.
According to the report from Manchester Evening News, Manchester City are looking to sign Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer in the summer. The Citizens can offer him a pre-agreement deal but it will be a player’s decision to proceed or not. The same report also suggests that Rudiger is looking to wait for more weeks to decide his next club.
Manchester City have Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias, John Stones, and Nathan Ake in their central defensive ranks. So signing another quality defender with surely raise the dressing room disturbance at the Etihad. Citizens can offer a better contract to the German and it will not be easy for Rudiger to start every game for Pep Guardiola.