October 26, (THEWILL) – It has been smooth sailing for London side Chelsea in the 2021/2022 campaign on the pitch, but Thomas Tuchel’s club is facing the prospect of losing three important defenders next season unless Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and captain Cesar Azpilicueta agree to new contracts.
Following a standout year in which his reputation and standing in the game significantly improved, Christensen has not agreed to a new contract at Stamford Bridge and his current contract expires in eight months.
Rudiger, who revealed in September that he is no closer to signing a new contract and needs to become one of the club’s highest-paid players, is in a similar situation.
That approach has not changed, and Chelsea now face an even bigger problem: Rudiger is desired by practically every major European team.
Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have already expressed interest, indicating that they would be willing to make him one of the highest-paid defenders in the world.
If those four possibilities were not enough for Rudiger, he now has Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Juventus ready to make him an offer, with Liverpool and Manchester United showing serious interest as well.
Rudiger is free to listen to bids from January 1st, and it is said that Chelsea’s leadership has accepted that the 28-year-old is now “more than likely” to leave at the conclusion of the season.
Chelsea’s head coach, Thomas Tuchel, has previously stated that signing Rudiger to a new deal should be one of the club’s top objectives, but it looks like the German is having difficulty getting his way.
With the revelation that Christensen and the Stamford Bridge club have yet to agree on terms for a new contract, Tuchel’s irritation will only grow. The 25-year-old Dane had a fantastic European Championship with his country and has been in superb form for the better part of a year, keeping 42 clean sheets in 52 outings for club and country.
He, like Rudiger, is out of contract next summer, and while the Dane is not asking for as much money as his teammate – Rudiger wants a contract worth more than £300,000 per week – Christensen is expecting a significant pay hike to reflect his sustained excellent form.
Chelsea are currently unwilling to meet his demands to the point where negotiations have come to a standstill. The club now has just two months to re-engage in talks and agree on a financial deal, or risk Christensen arranging a January transfer to a team willing to pay the money.
To make matters worse, Chelsea have failed to sign captain Cesar Azpilicueta to a new deal, despite the fact that they are certain he is dedicated to the club and wants to stay.
If Azpilicueta becomes available, Atletico Madrid will be one of the first in line to sign him, as they regard him as a perfect replacement for England international Kieran Trippier, who is expected to depart Spain at the conclusion of the season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
