Contract dilemma of Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger: Renew or not?

Chelsea signed Antonio Rudiger for £31.5 million in the summer of the 2017/18 season from AS Roma. Since then, the German international has played under four different managers in west London (Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel). The centerback was an integral part of the team and one of the first players on the team sheet under the former pair. In the two seasons under Italian managers, Rudiger helped the club by winning the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League.

During the 2019/20 season, Frank Lampard was named the new Chelsea manager to everyone’s surprise and surpassed everyone’s expectation by finishing in the top four of the Premier League. But for Rudiger, that was a very difficult year as he was absent for the first half of the season, missing 21 games in total. Nevertheless, in the second half of the season, the German defender made the centerback position his own and completed the remaining season with 26 appearances under his belt. Just when Rudiger thought he was the first choice defender in the team, Roman Abramovich splashed the cash and added a host of players—including the likes of Thiago Silva.

This is when the downfall of Rudiger began, so much so that the club was willing to sell the player to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window. Under Lampard, Rudiger barely played any football, which was very bizarre seeing as Silva could not play week in and week out and a young. Further, a promising player in Fikayo Tomori was frozen out. Maybe it was just a case of Lampard not fully trusting the player, but as we all are familiar with the culture of Chelsea Football Club, the English manager was sacked in January 2021.

The appointment of Tuchel certainly changed the fortunes of the club as the Blues went on to win their second UEFA Champions League title by defeating Manchester City in Porto. The decision to change to a 3-4-2-1 formation not only helped the team in winning, but also helped the side’s harmony by giving players like Rudiger and Marcos Alonso—who were completely frozen out a chance to prove themselves. In doing so, Rudiger showed his world class playing ability and became an integral part of the defensive line. Since the appointment of the German manager, Rudiger has made 35 appearances, 21 have been clean sheets. This stat is more than enough to showcase the German defender’s worth.

Antonio Rudiger’s Chelsea contract will expire in the near future, but will the Blues retain their star defender or let him walk for free in the summer?

Now, Rudiger’s contract expires in July 2022 and there is a real possibility fans might see Chelsea’s best defender leave the club for free. Interest from top European clubs like Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich can persuade the German defender to run down his Chelsea contract. There are many conflicting reports regarding whether Rudiger wants to stay or not, but one thing is certain: if Chelsea stumps up the wages he is after then he will sign on the dotted line. Rudiger currently earns around £100,000 a week, putting him outside of the top 10 earners at the club. Chelsea offered him a minor raise, which was rejected with Rudiger disappointed at the offer.

Apparently his first choice is to stay at Chelsea but he is holding out for a wage around the £200,000 per week mark. As time goes on, it is increasingly becoming difficult to guess where Rudiger will play next season. With January getting ever closer, if Rudiger hasn’t penned a deal then he will be able to sign a pre-contract with clubs like Bayern and Real, who are more than willing to meet the German defender’s contract demands.

The verdict: Renew Rudiger’s deal

There are many reasons why Chelsea should offer Rudiger a new contract. First, believe it or not, offering the German international a new contract will help the club save some money. As we all know, Silva is in his late 30s and might not be given a new contract for the following campaign. With the imminent departure of Silva on the horizon, giving Rudiger a new contract would mean that the club would not have to splash the cash to buy extra centerbacks in the transfer market.

Second, the departure of Silva would mean the loss of a leader in the dressing room. This void can be filled by Rudiger very easily and can very well have a positive impact in the dressing room. Young players like Trevoh Chalobah look up to him as their role model. Plus, having been a part of the club for five years now, the German international knows the day-to-day operations very well and would help any young or new players in settling down in west London.

Third, with Rudiger being a 28-year-old and coming into his prime as a defender, it would make more sense in giving him a new contract seeing as the Blues’ back line is aging with the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Alonso, and Silva in the team. An aging team also means more injuries and a decrease in the playing ability of the player. For all of these reasons, it would be smart of Chelsea to re-sign the highly coveted German centerhalf.

Do you think the Blues should renew Rudiger’s deal? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!