No contract talks between Chelsea and Antonio Rudiger amidst Manchester United boss’s interest
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea are not engaged in contract talks with Antonio Rudiger at the moment, with the player being admired by Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick. He could be in line to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of this season if there is no change in the current situation.
Rudiger has less than six months left in his current deal, which has put the Blues in a precarious situation. Despite the risk of losing him on a free transfer, they are not currently in contact with his camp to discuss the possibility of an extension. While they did hold a meeting in January, there has been no follow up to that so far.
The German is happy to stay with Thomas Tuchel’s side but is adamant that “there are also other people who have to make decisions”. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have been alerted to the situation as they try to reach a pre-contract agreement with him. Rangnick is a long term admirer of the centre-back, but it is unknown if that would translate to an official interest from Manchester United.
Can Man Utd sign Rudiger?
It will not be a surprise if the Red Devils make an approach to land the Blues ace on account of the 63-year-old. After all, the defender has been immense for his side since Tuchel has taken over the managerial role. He is arguably their best centre-back which could be the reason why he continues to feature regularly despite uncertainty surrounding his future.
It is unknown if the 28-year-old would entertain offers from fellow Premier League sides as it could ruin his standing among the Chelsea supporters. But, it would not hurt us to try just in case the central defender believes he has unfinished business in England.
That being said, the Premier League superstar’s representatives are currently engaged in talks with Real over a pre-contract agreement. PSG are also in the fray, but the uncertainty surrounding Mauricio Pochettino’s future could impact their efforts.
The London based club will need to make the German international the highest-paid defender in the league if they hope to keep hold of him. However, the interested parties could potentially use signing-on bonuses in a Bosman transfer to meet the demands.
More Manchester United News
- Transfer News: RB Leipzig set price for Manchester United target Christopher Nkunku
- Manchester United dealt Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino appointment blows
- Transfer News: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba open to assess Premier League offers in summer
It remains to be seen whether Man United would be in contention to sign him in the coming months ahead of the summer transfer window. But we hope that is the case considering the shaky defensive options within our squad.
Phil Jones and Eric Bailly do not fill us with confidence, whereas Harry Maguire has endured a difficult season. If the board has plans to return to the glory days, they need to uplift the quality in the backline to meet their ambitions. Whether that will happen or not would only be known in due time.
