Did Antonio Rudiger already sign an extension with Chelsea?

There are some moves in football that, even in this day and age, clubs are able to pull off without journalists or “in the knows” detecting on their radars. Transactions like these take a great deal of precision and sworn secrecy amongst those key to discussions. Chelsea has excelled in these negotiations over the years, most memorably pulling rabbits out of hats in the transfer market. The Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech signings were seemingly done before even reported. The Blues are not alone in their ability to pull off high profile signings without word getting out in the build up, but they are certainly amongst the very best in world football at keeping quiet.

The out-of-contract centerbacks have been the talk of the campaign thus far as the future of Chelsea’s back line hinges on at least one of these individuals re-signing. Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are all set to become free agents at the end of the season, which means the Blues only have a few months to convince them to re-up or they will need to replace all three come the summer. However, the latter of the trio has Chelsea supporters speculating this week after hinting that he’s got a long-term future with the club.

Has Antonio Rudiger already signed a contract extension with Chelsea?

There have been no reports about Rudiger extending his contract in the media yet. However, a cryptic Instagram post coming from the centerback’s official account has the football world talking. Rudiger posted a brief video of some of his best highlights wearing a Chelsea shirt. The clip was accompanied by a caption that reads “Can’t wait for all the battles ahead …” before he inserted a couple of emojis and his usual hashtags, hustle and always believe. The use of Tupac’s famous track “Hit ‘Em Up” (the explicit version because, well, anyone who is familiar with the song knows there’s no way to censor it) indicates this is not an official club production. However, the inclusion of clips from last season shows this may not be just a hype video for the fixtures to come.

Of course, there is no way we’ll really know until an official announcement is made by the club or Fabrizio Romano gives it the old “here we go!” Nevertheless, it’s fun to speculate in the meantime. Rudiger’s contract situation has been an interesting ride thus far. It initially seemed as if the German was surely on his way out with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid courting him. The interest from those European giants has waned in recent weeks, leading to the Blues and Rudiger intensifying extension talks.

The 28-year-old has been hugely important to Thomas Tuchel’s team since his compatriot took charge of the club in January of 2021. Rudiger’s ascended up to the elite centerback ranks in world football over the last year. The fact Chelsea has taken this long to ramp up discussions is incredibly puzzling. There were undoubtedly questions about whether or not this form was sustainable and if he could do it at a different position or in a back four. However, Rudiger’s answered those questions in recent months, passing each test with flying colors.

Of course, there is always the possibility that supporters are reading too much into this video. The Blues do have a huge month ahead after all. They kick off February with an FA Cup clash against Plymouth Argyle before travelling to the United Arab Emirates for the Club World Cup. Following its return, Chelsea will travel to south London to face Crystal Palace before hosting Lille in the UCL and squaring off against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. The possibility for two trophies remains, so that could be the motivation behind the Rudiger clip. The truth will be revealed over time, but it goes without saying the Blues’ faithful hope they’re right in their bold prediction.

What do you think Rudiger’s post means? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!