Real Madrid sign Rudiger from Chelsea on a free transfer

James Shearman

• Updated: 2 Jun 2022 12:41 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid have confirmed they have signed Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea on a free transfer.

Rudiger has signed a four-year contract with Los Blancos, which will come into effect when his deal with the Blues expires on 30 June.

Chelsea's hierarchy had tried to keep the Germany defender, but the two parties were well apart in terms of wage demands and a signing-on fee.

In a statement on the club website, Real Madrid said: "Real Madrid CF has reached an agreement with the player Antonio Rudiger, who will be linked to the club for the next four seasons."

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Having been relatively peripheral to Chelsea before the arrival of manager Thomas Tuchel in January 2021, Rudiger has exploded into a world-class defender. His current wage, though, does not reflect that.

Hence, he demanded a significant increase - one which the west London club have chosen not to accept.

Instead, Rudiger will follow in David Alaba's footsteps in signing for Los Blancos on a free transfer.

How much will Rudiger earn at Real Madrid?

According to Sky Sport journalist Angelo Mangiante, Rudiger will earn €9 million per season before bonuses over the course of a four-year deal.

Whereas, at Chelsea, he is one of the club’s most modestly paid players at around €6.2m per season.

It had previously been reported that Rudiger was aiming for a wage of around €12m – doubling his current salary – but the deal he is reported to have agreed with Real Madrid, nevertheless, represents a healthy pay rise.

Although Real Madrid may be struggling with a large debt, they still pay their players handsomely and Rudiger’s €9m-per-season deal will leave him middle ranked in terms of the club’s pay scale.

His average pay, though, comes in response of years of overpaying players such as Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard, who have cost the club over €60m this season despite producing little of note on the field.