November 14, (THEWILL) – In the midst of ongoing rumours over his future at Chelsea, Antonio Rudiger has emphasised that he is completely focused on the club.
Rudiger’s current contract is slated to expire at the end of the season, and the two parties do not appear to be close to agreeing on a new deal to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old is aiming to become one of the Blues’ highest-paid players, and while manager Thomas Tuchel is anxious for him to stay, discussions are moving slowly. Rudiger is currently on international duty with Germany, and when asked about his club career prospects, he remained tight-lipped.
Speaking with German outlet Welt am Sonntag, Rudiger said: “For now I am only concentrating on what is happening right now. I owe that to the club, the coach and the team. I’m currently only focused on Chelsea. We’ll see what happens.”
Since Tuchel’s arrival at Chelsea midway through the season, Rudiger has been a near-constant presence in the Chelsea back three. With the exception of a few minor injuries that kept him sidelined, he has started every game this season.
With no new contract on the horizon, a move to Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain is becoming more likely.
He is not the only Blues centre-back whose future is in doubt. Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen are both out of contract in the summer, and the trio will be free to negotiate with other teams starting in January.
If one or more of the defenders leave, Chelsea is considering a move for Villarreal’s Pau Torres. The Blues and Manchester United were both interested in signing the Spaniard before the Red Devils signed Raphael Varane in the summer.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
