La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid are reportedly stepping up their efforts to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, a target for Barcelona.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid will look to secure the services of Antonio Rudiger in the summer transfer window by offering him a €10 million-a-year contract. The Chelsea defender is also a target for Barcelona over a possible Bosman move.
Antonio Rudiger has transformed his career since compatriot Thomas Tuchel took charge at Chelsea over a year ago. The German international has become one of the most reliable defenders in Europe in the past twelve moments, establishing himself as an indispensable figure for club and country,
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a solid 2021/22 campaign, turning out 46 times for Chelsea across all competitions while chipping in with five goals and four assists in the process. But Chelsea will lose Rudiger’s services in the summer transfer window, as his contract will expire when the season ends, with the Blues unable to extend his contract. Such a situation has alerted Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Merengues hold a long-standing interest in Rudiger and attempted to sign him from Chelsea last summer. But the possibility of snapping him up on a free transfer has kicked Real Madrid into action, with the two parties reportedly in constant dialogue over a summer move.
The interest from Real Madrid stems from the lack of quality beyond Eder Militao and David Alaba, with Nacho a backup option at best and Jesus Vallejo poised to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer. On the other hand, Barcelona will oversee a squad overhaul, with defence one of the areas that will be addressed.
The Catalan giants are on the verge of signing one Chelsea defender in Andreas Christensen after reaching a verbal agreement with him. And Rudiger could arrive at Camp Nou to replace Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet, with the two French defenders facing uncertain futures at Barcelona.
But while the 29-year-old is a viable target for Barcelona, recent reports had claimed that they had ruled out signing him in the summer. Such a development gives Real Madrid the impetus to launch the offensive for the Chelsea defender, with a €10 million-a-year contract offer prepared.
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Apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid, Rudiger is also a target for Juventus. But it will be interesting to see if Real Madrid’s €10 million-a-year offer does the trick, helping them beat Barcelona and Juventus to his signature.
