Tuchel Confirms Chelsea Star's Departure: 'He Plays 55 Games A Season, We'll Miss Him'

Thomas Tuchel has confirmed defender Antonio Rudiger will leave Chelsea at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Rudiger's current contract with Chelsea is due to expire in the summer and the German center-back has decided not to sign an extension.

"He [Rudiger] informed me some days ago in a personal talk," Tuchel said in an interview with Sky Sports, reported BBC Sport.

While Tuchel has always publicly said he wants Rudiger to continue at Chelsea, it looks like he will have to let go of the defender. There have been several reports suggesting Rudiger's heavy links with a move to Real Madrid.

Moreover, Chelsea cannot negotiate new deals with their current players owing to the sanctions on outgoing owner Roman Abramovich by the U.K government over his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This has opened a window of opportunity for other clubs and Real Madrid are looking to exploit it.

Earlier this year, before the U.K government imposed a ban on Chelsea, the Stamford Bridge side offered Rudiger a lucrative extension worth nearly $300,000-a-week, plus a signing-on fee. However, the German national turned it down, reported The Athletic.

Rudiger has received offers in excess of the terms that were offered by Chelsea, unnamed sources told ESPN.

"We gave everything and now we enter a situation where we can't fight any more because of the sanctions and now Toni will leave. Our hands are tied. I don't know what would have been the outcome [without the sanctions]. That's his decision. It's not a nice one for us but we don't take it personally," added Tuchel in the same interview.

Rudiger, who moved from Roma to Chelsea in the summer of 2017, has been a regular figure in the Blues' side last few years. He has won several trophies with Chelsea over the years, including the Champions League that the Blues won last season by defeating Manchester City in the final.

In the 2021-22 season, Rudiger has made 47 appearances for Chelsea, across all competitions. He has also been involved in nine goals: four assists and five goals.

"He is a key figure and will stay a key figure for us. We will miss him a lot. He is a guy who gives people courage, who people are a bit afraid of. He plays 55 games a season for 90 minutes at an outstanding level. He was the top defender in the past one and a half years with me and I have nothing but respect for him," Tuchel said further.