Real Madrid players ‘convinced’ Chelsea star will complete transfer

Real Madrid’s players are preparing to welcome Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger to the club in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Germany international is out of contract at the end of the season and discussions with the Blues have made little progress.

It has been reported that Rudiger wants £200k a week but that the latest offer from the west London outfit currently stands at £140k a week.

History might be repeating itself for both Chelsea and Tuchel

There has been interest from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, while last week a report claimed that Manchester United had now entered the race.

And today the Daily Telegraph claim that the Real Madrid players ‘expect’ and ‘believe’ that Rudiger ‘is set to move to the Spanish club on a free transfer at the end of the season with Chelsea yet to receive any encouragement over his Stamford Bridge future’.

The newpaper reckons that the German wants ‘around double’ the £140k a week that is currently on the table from the Premier League club.

Real are ‘willing to pay’ him that and there is ‘growing optimism within Real that Rudiger will join them, players at the Spanish club are now convinced that the defender will become a team-mate in the summer’.

If Rudiger chooses to move to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window he will be reunited with former Chelsea team-mates Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois, while he knows Austrian defender David Alaba.

The newspaper adds: ‘While Chelsea would like to keep Rudiger and would be prepared to increase their original offer, they are also aware that being held to ransom could cause problems within the dressing-room and set a bad precedent.’

When Thomas Tuchel was asked recently if no player is bigger than Chelsea or if Rudiger’s situation remains crucial to the Blues’ immediate future, he replied: “Both. Both answers are correct.

“It is super important and as I understood myself and everybody else, we absolutely accept the importance, we’re fully aware of the importance of Toni and the role that he’s playing on and off the pitch.

“There is no doubt in that and yes, it’s true, nobody is bigger than the club, nobody. This is a team effort, and it is a team game, and it is a strong club, and it is about the club.

“It is also not about me and it is not only about Toni. And I mean that in the best way, because we know what he’s doing and we’re fully aware of it.

“So both answers are right and in the end we need a bit of patience. I have no update right now.”