Paul Merson has backed the in-demand defensive star Antonio Rudiger to call it quits at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and leave the Chelsea camp.
Rudiger’s future remains subject to much uncertainty heading into the January transfer window with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich keeping close tabs on his situation in the English capital.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been pushing for his star centre-back to pen a new deal but to no avail with Rudiger understood to be keen on a major hike in his wages to agree upon extended terms.
Real Madrid are tipped to be the frontrunners to land Rudiger on a free transfer come the summer of 2022 with the La Liga heavyweights in the market for a big-name defensive signing to bolster their ranks.
In his column for The Daily Star, Merson has suggested that Chelsea are certain to lose out on Rudiger who will have a flurry of clubs queuing up to sign him and pay his desired wage demands in light of his explosive run of form in the Premier League.
“Chelsea are going to miss Antonio Rudiger when he goes because it will take £60-70m to replace him.
Rudiger is definitely leaving. If he wanted to sign a new contract he would have done it by now. There’s no chance he stays now.
But it’s not Thomas Tuchel’s fault. I think he made his mind up to go when Frank Lampard had him out of the team.
And even though he’s been phenomenal since Tuchel brought him back in, and they won the Champions League, Rudiger hasn’t forgotten.Teams will be queuing round the block now to sign him, and someone will pay him a lorryload of money to join them.
He’s been one of Chelsea’s two best players all season for me and he won’t be easy to replace – but Tuchel should already be thinking about who to go for.”
