Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly still keen on securing the services of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger ahead of the January transfer window
According to a report by Daily Express, Antonio Rudiger still features on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the January transfer window. The German international faces an uncertain future at Chelsea, who are unwilling to sell him to their direct rivals in the Premier League.
Rudiger joined Chelsea from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 and has since endured a topsy-turvy ride with the Premier League heavyweights. For a couple of years after his arrival at Stamford Bridge, the 27-year-old was a regular at the back for the Blues.
However, he has constantly been sliding down the pecking order since the appointment of Frank Lampard as the Chelsea manager last year. As things stand, Rudiger is a mere backup option for the west Londoners, with Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva the first-choice central defenders. It is, thus, not surprising that Rudiger now finds himself facing an uncertain future, with Tottenham keen on signing him.
Tottenham were, in fact, eager to swoop Rudiger away from Chelsea in the summer as well but a move failed to materialise. Spurs eventually ended up signing Joe Rodon from Swansea City, but continue to remain in the hunt for a new centre-back, which makes sense to some extent.
Davinson Sanchez reportedly has no future at Tottenham and an exit looms large for the Colombian international. With Toby Alderweireld on the wrong side of 30 and Japhet Tanganga facing fitness issues, Eric Dier remains the only other regular central defender at Jose Mourinho’s disposal.
So, it is not hard to see why the former Chelsea boss is still looking to bolster the heart of his side’s defence. Rudiger is, therefore, a viable target for Tottenham, with Mourinho eager to snap up a player he is a huge admirer of, as per Daily Express.
Reports have claimed that Chelsea are looking to offload Rudiger in the January transfer window, but the Blues have no intention of selling him to Tottenham and strengthen a direct rival. Spurs could, therefore, be forced to set their sights elsewhere in search of a centre-back.
Milan Skriniar continues to remain a target for Tottenham and it will be interesting to see if he becomes a priority for the north Londoners if they fail in their bid to sign Rudiger. As for the player himself, it looks like he might be set for a move outside England, with his future at Chelsea being non-existent.
