The evidence Rudiger is playing Chelsea with Bayern rumours
Robin Bairner
- 18 Nov 2021 12:34 GMT
- 6 min read
Antonio Rudiger’s Chelsea at future appears to be on shaky ground, with interest apparently looming from the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Rudiger’s deal with the Blues is up at the end of the season, and though he has previously indicated his willingness to remain with the club, no deal appears to be close at present.
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And others are said to be monitoring the situation, with Bayern Munich apparently foremost among the suitors for the Germany international centre-back.
Indeed, Bayern are reportedly willing to double Rudiger’s Chelsea wage.
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Just how serious Bayern’s interest is in Rudiger has been questioned, however, with SportBild suggesting that the hype around a potential deal has been amplified by the player’s entourage in order to try and drive his wage up with Chelsea.
It is pointed out that Rudiger has previously indicated that he is happy in London and has no particular desire to depart the club.
Indeed, it is suggested that his team are using this as a negotiating tactic in order to drive up his wage to around the level earned by Timo Werner. With a salary of around £14 million per year, he would become one of the club's top earners.
Furthermore, it is reported by Sport1 that Bayern now want to extend the contract of centre-back Niklas Sule – the player that Rudiger was expected to replace at the Allianz Arena.
Sule has been Bayern’s best centre-back this season but it had been hinted that he could depart at the end of the season due to a contract that expires in June.
Newcastle had been evoked as a possible destination but such a move is not presently on the cards, although he has not ruled out a move to the Premier League.
Petit on Rudiger
He could leave on a free and Chelsea would have to spend a minimum of £30 million to find a new defender of his level
- Emmanuel PetitChelsea have been warned by former player Emmanuel Petit that they should meet Rudiger’s contract demands or else face a difficult task replacing him in the summer.
“If he leaves, it would be a real pity for Chelsea,” Petit took Bookmakers.co.uk. “If I remember correctly before Tuchel came in he was on the bench and wasn’t playing. Now he looks like one of the best defenders around.
“He could leave on a free and Chelsea would have to spend a minimum of £30 million to find a new defender of his level, and there’s never a guarantee a buy will work out.
“If he asks for two more years, just give him the money.”
Chelsea continue to be linked with defenders, including Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Leicester’s Wesley Fofana.
