Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger has been told to find a new club, with Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain emerging as likely destinations.
According to Daily Mirror, Chelsea are ready to offload Antonio Rudiger this summer. The centre-back is not included in Frank Lampard’s first-team plans and a loan move away from Stamford Bridge could be on the horizon, putting Tottenham Hotspur & Paris Saint-Germain on red alert.
Tottenham, in particular, have shown a lot of interest in the services of Rudiger, with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho keen on extending his defensive options in the transfer deadline day. AC Milan are another club who have courted the defender, although a move to San Siro seems unlikely at this point.
Spurs’ interest in the Chelsea outcast comes just a day after the club released Juan Foyth to Villarreal on loan. It has created a little void in the defensive unit, especially with youngster Japhet Tanganga struggling with injuries in these early parts of the campaign.
The addition of someone like Rudiger could, therefore, make sense for Mourinho, who has been able to inject more physicality and aggression in this Tottenham side. It was broadly highlighted in their spectacular 6-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday, where the visitors almost bullied their opposition.
Rudiger, considering his combative and no-nonsense defensive style of play, could be a tailor-made fit for Mourinho’s tactical philosophy. However, the Lilywhites should be wary of the poor injury record that has plagued the German’s career at Chelsea.
Speaking of Chelsea, the willingness to offload Rudiger means Frank Lampard may have found the right defensive combination in his side, following a spending spree that saw the Blues sign defenders like Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr, although the latter has been linked with a shock loan move to FC Porto.
That said, one could argue that the potential departure of Rudiger may force Lampard to retain the services of Sarr. The Frenchman is yet to feature in a single game for the Blues but given the hectic footballing schedule of the 2020/21 campaign, the Chelsea manager could be tempted to keep him at the club.
Nevertheless, the west Londoners do have enough depth in the central defensive unit, especially with the arrival of Chilwell now allowing the experienced Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta to potentially feature as a centre-back.
As for Mourinho, the potential addition of Rudiger should be the final piece of the jigsaw, with Tottenham completing the deal for FC Porto striker Vinicius this past weekend.
