Manchester United target Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger as doubts over club captain Harry Maguire grow

According to the Mirror, Manchester United are hoping to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger for free in the summer, putting the future of club captain Harry Maguire at risk.

Maguire moved to United in 2019 amidst much hype and fanfare but has failed to win over the critics and some fans over his defensive ability. Although he has improved the Red Devils’ rearguard due to his fantastic aerial ability, he has often been caught out for silly mistakes at the back.

Despite being the skipper, Maguire’s spot isn’t looking too secure at the moment, and United have their eyes on Rudiger to act as a potential option that they could go all out for ahead of the new season.

The German has been arguably Chelsea’s best defender over the past two years, hardly missing a game and putting in fantastic performances for the Blues as they went on to win the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup in recent times.

Wage demands

Despite all the success that he’s found at Chelsea, the Germany international has not yet agreed on a new deal with the club. This means that as things stand, Rudiger is available for free at the end of the season.

However, United’s interest in the centre-back does not mean that they are in pole position to sign him, as European heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are said to have offered him wages of around £400,000-a-week to convince the player to swap Chelsea for their clubs.

United may be looking for defensive reinforcements this summer, given that they have picked up a habit of not holding on to their leads in games. Dropping points after taking an early lead seems to be a constant theme since the start of 2022, and the club will be keen to address this issue in the summer.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick is said to be a big fan of Rudiger, which only increases the Old Trafford side’s efforts to snap up the defender. The highly accomplished defender being available for free is great news for United, who would otherwise have had to spend big bucks on a quality centre-back in the transfer market.

More Manchester United News

• Transfer News: Newcastle United ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen
• Manchester United legend Roy Keane urges former club to sign Diego Simeone as permanent manager
• England manager Gareth Southgate in race against time to grab Manchester United ace Anthony Elanga opportunity

Last summer saw the arrival of Raphael Varane, but the Frenchman has struggled with slight injury niggles every now and then. Along with Maguire, the duo are the first-choice defensive pairing at the club but have not lived up to the billing this season.

On paper, Rudiger looks to be exactly what we need at the back ahead of the new campaign. If we do manage to sign him in the summer, then we can hope that he is able to reproduce his Chelsea form at Old Trafford and lift United to new heights.