Antonio Rudiger’s contract stalemate continues to drag on for the worst and speculation is rife that the 28-year-old defender is nearing his exit from the Chelsea camp.
Thomas Tuchel’s repeated attempts to tie down his star centre-back to extended terms beyond the next summer have failed to bear fruit with Rudiger holding out for a major bump in wages to commit his long-term stay at Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich keep close tabs on the Germany international who has been instrumental to Chelsea’s on-field success since the hiring of Thomas Tuchel in the early period of 2021.
He has been solid at the back for the table-toppers who achieved Champions League glory last season on the back of their impressive showings on the defensive front led by Rudiger.
Rudiger had been frozen out of the first-team plans of the former gaffer Frank Lampard but Tuchel had the player back on the starting team sheet to much success for the Blues whose defensive fortunes have witnessed a massive turnaround.
Chelsea, however, will need to remain on the lookout for reinforcements should Rudiger call it quits at the Bridge which does seem very likely in the present circumstances where the club’s board refuses to cede to the salary demands of the German.
Here are 3 players we reckon would be viable replacements for Antonio Rudiger –
1. Jules Kounde
The Sevilla first-team regular has been a longstanding target for the Chelsea boss Tuchel who was unsuccessful in his efforts to sign the defender this summer.
Kounde had been open to a switch to the Premier League but Sevilla were firm on the pricing front which mean that Chelsea were forced to drop their plans to land the Frenchman in the final hours of the transfer window.
He remains on the radar for the west London giants who are now joined by bitter rivals Manchester United in the mix for the 23-year-old who can prove to be a talent to watch out for in the coming years.
2. Matthijs de Ligt
De Ligt is one name who has been heavily linked with Chelsea as of late with the Dutchman’s agent Mino Raiola pushing for his client to call it quits at Serie A bigwigs Juventus.
The move to Italy’s top flight from Ajax two summers ago has not been one that had been expected by the young central defender and with Chelsea keeping tabs on his fast escalating situation, De Ligt could be keen on playing for Thomas Tuchel.
He is still regarded as one of the top players in his position and with age on his side is a viable target for the Stamford Bridge camp.
3. Attila Szalai
The Hungary international Szalai has earned rave reviews for his showings in the Turkish top flight for Fenerbahce with rumours suggesting that Chelsea have made the defender a top target ahead of the January window.
Szalai’s signature could prove to be a cut-price business for Thomas Tuchel who is in line to lose out on the services of his star man Antonio Rudiger for free next summer.
