The battle to sign Germany international Antonio Rudiger is hotting up ahead of the 2022 summer transfer window. The centre-back wants to sort his future out by the end of this month, and talks with interested parties are continuing, says The Athletic.
The 29-year-old will enter the final two months of his contract on May 1, and he wants to decide which team he will play for next season sooner rather than later. An ever-impressive member of Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea squad, the defender’s representatives are in talks with several interested parties, including the Blues themselves and Spanish supergiants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
As per the report, more positive talks have taken place between Rudiger and Chelsea since December after, at one point, it looked certain that the German would leave the club at the end of the season. The player, crucially, hasn’t yet signed a pre-contract agreement with any interested foreign club, but Chelsea’s current sanctions mean the club cannot agree to a deal with him until there is a change in the ownership – a process which is likely to drag on until May, at least.
Meanwhile, Rudiger is attracting plenty of interest from overseas. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have shown an interest in signing the German on a free transfer at the end of the season, with the latter currently edging the former in the race for his signature. Serie A giants Juventus, too, are keeping tabs on the centre-back, as are French champions-elect Paris Saint-Germain.
Domestically, Manchester United have been linked with Rudiger, but the club cannot sign him on a pre-contract due to transfer regulations and, thus, have to wait until the end of the season to do the same.
However, the scenario might change by then for the Red Devils, given Ralf Rangnick – the key voice behind this pursuit – will be vacating the hot seat for, in all likelihood, Erik ten Hag. One of the Dutchman’s current Ajax lieutenants, Jurrien Timber, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, too.
