Chelsea have a number of defenders running out of contract at the end of the season but Rudiger's future seems the most uncertain.
Until his back injury forced him out of Chelsea's clash with Brentford, Antonio Rudiger had played every Premier League and Champions League minute for Chelsea this season.
Thomas Tuchel immediately brought the defender back into his side for the visit of Malmo to Stamford Bridge. It says a lot about how highly he is regarded.
The clash against the Bees showed that the Blues have the depth to cope without Rudiger's presence but when Thomas Frank's side piled on the pressure, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr didn't exude the same confidence as their talismanic teammate.
As Pat Nevin recalled while providing commentary for Chelsea vs Southampton ahead of the international break, it's difficult to remember a player beating him one-on-one.
If Rudiger's performances falter, they will still be able to receive a fee to counteract some of their additional investment. It's not uncommon for defenders to be present in top sides into their 30s, so even two or three years down the line, Rudiger will be marketable.
A swifter departure would mean that Chelsea need to splash out on a big transfer fee and a contract probably not too dissimilar to what has been mooted for the German. We've seen with Kepa Arrizabala how quickly even a signing full of potential's value can drop.
0 Comments