Report: Chelsea only willing to pay 70 percent of Antonio Rudiger’s wage demands
Chelsea are only willing to pay 70 per cent of centre-back Antonio Rudiger’s high wage demands, as they look to try and keep hold of the German international, according to reports.
Rudiger signed with the Blues back in 2017 where he joined for a reported fee of £29 million.
Since then, he has played a key role in many of the successes Chelsea have enjoyed in the last four years.
As per Spox via Sport Witness, Rudiger is demanding €230,000-per-week, a healthy increase on his contract.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are ‘only willing to pay 70 per cent of the amount’ requested by the German centre-back.
Rudiger values himself as worth as much as Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, Chelsea’s two highest players in the ranks, earning in excess of £300,000-per-week.
The defender is however, aware of the strong negotiating position he holds.
Blues manager Thomas Tuchel is ‘desperate’ to keep hold of him, after his recent run of form being nothing short of spectacular, with Rio Ferdinand even going as far to call him “the best centre-back” in the Premier League.
Amid interest from Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, Rudiger is not short of options.
The defender is reportedly keen to stay in west London, should Tuchel’s side give into his high wage demands, but has shown in no way that he is against a move elsewhere.
Chelsea have also shown a keen interest in signing Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, whose arrival would make competition for places in Chelsea’s back line increasingly difficult.