Chelsea has put itself in a very peculiar situation. The Blues came into the 2021/22 campaign with six centerbacks in their ranks. Only two (Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr) were under contract beyond this season. Fast forward to the end of January and the club has managed to get two individuals to put pen to paper on new deals. Chalobah and Thiago Silva have both extended their stays in SW6 beyond the current campaign. The former’s contract now expires in the summer of 2026. Meanwhile, the latter continues to take things step-by-step with another one-year deal. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the exclusions from this conversation though.
The three defenders that Chelsea are guaranteed to house next season are very capable and exciting additions to any team. Nevertheless, the focus now remains on those who are set to become free agents. The Blues’ foundation at the back is just a few months away from being uprooted. Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are now free to hold discussions with other European clubs about a pre-contract agreement. Chelsea supporters are worried—to say the least—and the club’s hierarchy should be, as well. As the winter transfer window nears its end, there has seemingly been little progress made in extension talks with the trio. This could prove to be a massive issue for Thomas Tuchel, but not all hope is lost just yet.
Here are the latest news updates from three of the most reliable sources around the club (Fabrizio Romano, Matt Law and The Athletic) regarding Chelsea’s out-of-contract centerbacks:
1. Cesar Azpilicueta
If one were to survey supporters on the internet, Azpilicueta would have likely been on his way out a few seasons ago. This isn’t due to a lack of love for the captain, but he’s been rumored to be “on the decline” for the last few seasons. Of course, we all know this isn’t even close to being the case. The club captain, even at 32, looks incredibly comfortable playing in the starting XI a few times per week. Azpilicueta has been an important piece in Tuchel’s team since the German’s arrival last January. Therefore, it’s difficult to even imagine a Chelsea side without the Spaniard in it.
Azpilicueta has played in 27 matches already this season, breaking club records along the way. He’s not as impactful as Reece James when lining up as a right wingback, which is probably where the falsified tales of his demise came from, but he’s still obviously got a huge part to play.
Why have the Blues let his contract talks come to this when they know how important he is to the squad’s overall success? Simply put, it’s nothing out of the ordinary for Marina Granovskaia. In a recent article, Liam Twomey of The Athletic compared Azpilicueta’s contract talks to club legends that came before him. Namely John Terry and Frank Lampard. Both of the aforementioned Chelsea icons went into May before signing their last deals. This isn’t to say a potential new contract would be Azpilicueta’s last, we’re just nearing the back end of a legendary career.
Both sides are said to be incredibly comfortable, despite the delicacy of the situation. Azpilicueta is focused on his football and the club trust its captain will not hold talks with other clubs. There are obviously suitors for the Spaniard should he not extend. Barcelona is one of the many clubs reportedly interested in signing the versatile Chelsea defender, but it’s unlikely he leaves the club. Azpilicueta is a beloved figure in west London and both he and his family love life in the English capital. Overall, the most important thing to the 10-year veteran is playing time though. If Tuchel cannot promise his captain minutes then a departure starts to look possible. It’s very unlikely the situation comes to that though, especially considering how often he’s played this year.
Prediction: Extends
2. Andreas Christensen
Azpilicueta is not the only Chelsea defender drawing interest from Spain. According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are amongst the many clubs monitoring Andreas Christensen’s contract standoff with the Blues. The Dane’s situation has changed almost every day since the two sides began talks, which is enough to have any Chelsea supporter on edge. There was reportedly a verbal agreement on an extension toward the end of last season into the summer. As we know though, talk means very little in football. Nothing is finalized until the player pens his name on the dotted line. Now his renewal is in question.
The Telegraph’s Matt Law confirmed on the London Is Blue Podcast that the defender’s representatives are engaged in discussions with other European clubs, unlike the two other defenders in this piece. This is either a serious bluff from Christensen’s camp or he is actually preparing to leave SW6 after a decade with the Blues.
The reality of the situation is Christensen has largely failed to cement his place in the starting XI. His in-game replacement of Thiago Silva in the Champions League final symbolized what many thought to be a literal passing of the torch. The 25-year-old had been phenomenal all season long, including in the Brazilian’s absence, but he was on the outside looking in for the most part. This season was supposed to be the campaign in which he finally broke through and became a stalwart piece for the Blues at the back. Christensen has seemingly always hovered between the starting team and the bench. He has yet to make himself completely undroppable, despite playing for four different managers since returning from his loan to Borussia Monchengladbach in 2017.
The same goes for this season. Christensen has been fantastic when he has played, the other defenders have been just as good though. Silva has made himself absolutely necessary to the line-up. Unfortunately for the Dane, his contract situation has also contributed to his lack of appearances in recent months. Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and Azpilicueta have been able to step in and play extremely well.
In a way, Christensen’s contract holdout has worked against him. It’s shown Tuchel and the club that although he is a fantastic young centerback, he is not as irreplaceable as his representatives tried to make him seem. It’s no secret that Christensen loves Chelsea and if he had things his way, he’d likely opt to stay and finish out his career in the English capital. That’s unfortunately not how these things work. Christensen’s camp contacting other clubs is a huge hint as to how this saga is going to end. The defender’s maturity and respect deserve some mention too. While he may leave in the end, it’s become abundantly clear he won’t join another English club. That is commendable.
Prediction: Departs
3. Antonio Rudiger
I’ve saved the best for last. Antonio Rudiger has established himself as one of the world’s best centerbacks over the last year. To say he’s excelled under Tuchel’s tutelage would be a massive understatement. The German defender has blossomed into a more well-rounded and confident player since the Blues brought in the former Paris Saint-Germain manager 12 months ago. Rudiger went from being on the verge of leaving the club to arguably being Chelsea’s most important player in the blink of an eye. No, that’s not an exaggeration, the veteran’s transformation has been unbelievable.
It’s not just a stint either, he’s maintained this amazing form for Tuchel’s entire tenure, seldom putting a foot wrong throughout. Rudiger has gone toe-to-toe with some of Europe’s best strikers during that stretch—players like Karim Benzema, Harry Kane and Luis Suarez—and he’s more than held his own against each and every one. There aren’t enough positive adjectives in the Oxford English Dictionary to describe the impact Rudiger’s had on this Chelsea side lately.
All of this being said, how has the club possibly let Rudiger’s name end up on this list of expiring contracts? It’s not as crazy as it sounds in the end given his status under Frank Lampard. However, he’s proven at this point that he can sustain this excellent level of play. Rudiger’s done it in a back three and a back four. He’s played all across the back line as of late, proving all of his doubters wrong in the process. The German has been superb, no matter the situation.
The 28-year-old is preparing to sign what is likely going to be the last major contract of his career. Therefore, when you couple that with the fact he’s played so well lately, it’s no wonder he wants his next club to offer him a boatload of money. Rudiger deserves it.
Granovskaia drives a hard bargain, but at this point she needs to loosen up a bit. Rudiger has been respectful enough to the Blues to not talk to other clubs during the season. He wants to focus on football and helping the team while his agents handle the rest. Similarly to the other two, there is something that needs to be said for that. This is especially true considering the likes of Bayern Munich, PSG and Real Madrid have flirted with the German international.
It seemed only a few weeks ago that he was definitely going to leave. The two sides hadn’t talked extension in quite some time, but things can change in an instant in football. Chelsea and Rudiger have recently reopened negotiations and the tone of the talks seems positive. There is now a general feeling around the club that the superstar centerback will end up re-signing with the Blues in the coming months. This would be a massive statement from the board that it backs Tuchel. Rudiger gives Chelsea the best opportunity to win trophies as the side is always undoubtedly better with him in it.
Prediction: Extends
What do you think happens with each player? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!