Done deal! Chelsea confirm departure of Chelsea star, as Blues ready to offer maestro big £7M-a-season move to Stamford Bridge
Finally, Chelsea have officially confirmed that Antonio Rudiger has signed for Real Madrid on a free transfer.
However, during the closing weeks of the season, it was an open secret that Rudiger would be ending a five-year spell at Stamford Bridge to sign for Los Blancos.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel revealed that the Germany international had held conversations with him behind the scenes to reveal that he would not be extending his contract past the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
With Real Madrid competing in the Champions League final last weekend, it was known that a formal announcement would not be made until after that fixture.
On Thursday, the Premier League club confirmed that the 29-year-old would be departing for pastures new, praising the influence of the player in an official statement.
It read: “We bid farewell to Antonio Rudiger as he departs Stamford Bridge with his Chelsea contract expiring, bringing to a close his five trophy-filled years with the club.
“The German defender has left the Blues to join Real Madrid, having played a huge role in our successes in recent seasons. Rudiger lifted the FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea, playing a crucial role in all those triumphs at the heart of our defence.
“The 29-year-old was also an important figure in the dressing room with his leadership and passion, while his dedication and desire to win never faltered, even when it became clear he would be leaving the club this summer. Rudiger’s disappointment was obvious when defeats to Real Madrid in the Champions League and to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals denied him the chance to say goodbye with one more piece of silverware.”
In recent weeks, Rudiger has claimed that Chelsea were too slow to make progress in negotiations, the suggestion being that the Blues hierarchy should have acted before any government restrictions were imposed.
Rudiger departs Chelsea having made a total of 203 appearances in all competitions, the centre-back also chipping in with 12 goals since his arrival in 2017.
Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer as a possible replacement for Jorginho
Chelsea may have finished inside that top four spot last season and become the club world Champions – but they have a lot of work to do in this transfer window
Liverpool and Man City finished so far ahead of the club last season and Tuchel knows that if he has any chance of winning that Premier League title – he needs to improve that squad
Now – there has been a lot of rumours in the media which have claimed that Jorginho is a player that is very much interested in departing the club and making a move back to his homeland
The likes of Inter – AC and Juventus are all interested in a possible deal – and it is believed that if the new owners receive the right offer – they will allow him to depart the club
And according to reports emerging from Italy – Tuchel is very much interested in signing Rabiot on a bargain £20 million deal – as he is no longer wanted by Juve
Despite being one of the most gifted central midfielders in the game – Rabiot has never really adapted to Italian football like many had hoped – and Juventus are now keen to make sure that they get his massive £7M a season wages off the books