'He's not the smartest' - Arsenal legend takes aim at Chelsea defender Rudiger

Stefan Bienkowski

• 21 Jun 2021 11:53 BST
• 5 min read

French legend Patrick Vieira has taken aim at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger by claiming that the German international is “not the smartest”.

Rudiger has been an ever-present member of Jogi Low’s side as they’ve kicked off Euro 2020 with a narrow defeat to France and then a 4-2 victory over Portugal.

The towering defender has earned his spot in the Germany starting XI after an impressive end to the season with Chelsea, which saw the 28-year-old talent help his side win the Champions League.

However, despite such achievements, Vieira thinks the former Roma defender could be one of Germany’s weakest links.

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“You need two players around [Mats] Hummels to protect him,” said the former Arsenal midfielder.

“But I don't know if Rudiger is the type of player you can rely on. He's not the smartest.”

Vieira added: “I think Hummels is not the fastest, but he's clever, uses his brain to defend well. Nevertheless, it will be difficult for him at this level.

"Sometimes Rudiger makes a bad decision, which then ensures that his teammates get big, big problems."

Will Rudiger stay at Chelsea next season?

Regardless of how Vieira may feel about the defender, it seems as though Tuchel is still a big fan of Rudiger and will surely be hoping to see him in the Chelsea starting XI for next season.

However, it remains to be seen whether the defender will in fact be sticking around Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable future.

Rudiger’s current contract at Chelsea is set to expire at the end of next season, which would mean the defender would be free to speak to other clubs in January if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

Logic would suggest that Chelsea will offer Rudiger a new contract this summer and that the defender would be inclined to stick around, but it’s easy to forget that the German international was deemed surplus to requirement until Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge.

After an impressive Euro 2020 with Germany and a Champions League medal in his back pocket, Rudiger may be inclined to consider his options ahead of the new season.