KEY POINTS

  • Antonio Rudiger has less than 6 months left on his Chelsea deal
  • He is being chased by several top European clubs
  • Rudiger helped Chelsea win the UCL title last season

Manchester United reportedly are interested in signing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the summer of 2022.

Rudiger has less than six months left on his current Chelsea contract and the Blues have so far failed to tie him down in a new deal. Manchester United are the latest contenders in the race to sign the French national, reported German media outlet Sky Deutschland.

It is understood that Manchester United are looking for a stronger central defense partner for their summer signing Raphael Varane and Rudiger could be a great choice.

Rudiger, who played a significant part in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last season, has established himself as one of the best center-backs at present. Apart from Manchester United, the other top European clubs that are chasing Rudiger are Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Bayern Munich.

Thomas Tuchel desperately wants Chelsea to reach an agreement with Rudiger, who has started all of Blues’ 15 Premier League games. Overall, the defender has played 21 competitive matches for Chelsea in the 2021-22 season and has also contributed with two goals, both in the league.

Rudiger has turned down Chelsea's opening offer of around $184,850-a-week as he wants his new contract to be close to $264,060-a-week. The French defender believes he deserves to be among the top earners at Chelsea.

It was earlier reported that Rudiger had reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid regarding a free transfer in the summer of 2022.

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger (centre) believed he was the victim of racist chanting during his side's 2-0 win at Tottenham last month
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger (centre) believed he was the victim of racist chanting during his side's 2-0 win at Tottenham last month AFP / Adrian DENNIS

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is furious at Real Madrid for going after Rudiger and has decided to walk away from negotiations over Eden Hazard’s return to Stamford Bridge as a result, according to Spanish publication El Nacional.

Hazard, who moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2019 for a hefty price of $113 million, has had a disastrous run in the Spanish capital. The former Chelsea star, who is into his third season at Real Madrid, has so far managed to bag only 55 appearances for the La Liga side, across all competitions.

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