Tottenham Hotspur could close in on signing Antonio Rudiger amidst uncertainty surrounding a new deal at Chelsea
According to transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio (h/t Express), Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are in behind-the-scenes talks to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.
The 28-year-old has become an instrumental part of this Chelsea squad under Thomas Tuchel. He also played an important role in guiding the Blues to the UEFA Champions League trophy last season. The German defender’s current contract will expire in 2022 and negotiations for a new contract seem to be at a standstill as the Blues are yet to meet his demands on a new deal.
It is believed that the club is willing to offer the former Roma player up to £150,000 per week but Rudiger is holding out for a larger sum. The former PSG manager is a big fan of the player and has shown his desire to keep the 28-year-old defender at the club.
In conversation with Wetten Freunde (h/t Express), Di Marzio stated that the German defender is close to joining a list of four clubs which also include fellow English rivals Spurs and City:
“Rüdiger is in talks with Juventus, Man City, Tottenham, and even PSG, who still need a defender. It’s difficult to see him signing a new contract. He will join one of the four teams mentioned.”
The Lilywhites have had an indifferent start to the season so far. They have a relatively young backline with Eric Dier being the most experienced first-choice centre-back at the moment. Rudiger has played 160 games for Chelsea in all competitions so far and his acquisition could bring a wealth of elite-level experience to the North Londoners.
The 28-year-old also admitted that he was close to leaving the Blues earlier in the year but no such deal took place.
“I was close [to leaving].There were really like two teams, maybe one team I was considering, that was PSG to be honest. There was [a] call also with Mourinho, but this is something at the end of the day that didn’t happen, and with Tuchel also, [but it] didn’t happen.”
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After suffering humiliating defeats to London clubs in the PL this season, Nuno Espirito Santo should be on the lookout to add someone like Antonio Rudiger to his defensive ranks. His astute presence could be the perfect push for Spurs to compete on a more consistent level going ahead.