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Three possible Antonio Rudiger replacements for Chelsea

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 15: Brendan Chardonnet of Brest during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats's game between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) at Parc des Princes stadium on January 15, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 15: Brendan Chardonnet of Brest during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats's game between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) at Parc des Princes stadium on January 15, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 22: Antonio Ruediger of Chelsea waves to the Chelsea supporters after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge on May 22, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 22: Antonio Ruediger of Chelsea waves to the Chelsea supporters after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge on May 22, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

About a year ago, I started a centerback scouting series that is now five parts deep. This is relevant because many of the central defenders you’d be expecting to see in this piece will not feature, and that is mainly because they have been covered comprehensively already in the past. These centerbacks include—but aren’t limited to—Benoit Badiashile, Cristian Romero, Maxence Lacroix, Dayot Upamecano and most recently, Nikola Milenkovic. Since the series kicked off, those aforementioned starlets have risen to fame. For example, Upamecano has moved to Bayern Munich and he’s already won the league with the Bavarian club. Meanwhile, Romero has moved to Tottenham Hotspur, where many would agree he is now Spurs’ best centerback when fit.

Part one of that centerback scouting series talks about the things Chelsea should be looking for in a centerhalf. These traits include: very good passing and an ability to make several passes in a game (both under pressure and otherwise), a diverse passing range, superb defensive awareness, as well as a willingness to put one’s body on the line to prevent a goal, and a competence in winning duels on the ground and in the air. Keeping all of this in mind, we must now look at some centerback options to replace Antonio Rudiger seeing as he’s played his final game in a Blues shirt.

Rudiger did many things right over the years, despite many knowing that he was not the most reliable centerback in a two-centerback formation. Regardless, the German was very good with his counter-pressing, as well as ball-carrying. He was also known for his distribution, especially his high-volume long passing. These things are considered when looking at these potential centerback replacements for the lovable central defender. It’s worth keeping in mind that some centerbacks won’t immediately look like a perfect fit, as they currently play in teams that don’t control possession as much as Tuchel’s Chelsea.

Here are three possible replacements for the soon departing centerback, Rudiger:

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