Chelsea are poised to lose their greatest defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer to the new European champions after failing to make a worthwhile offer.
Antonio Rudiger has been clear, but not always completely clear.
When asked about his choice to quit Chelsea following their FA Cup final loss, he told reporters, “I don’t want to dig too deep into things.” “There was a chance, but sanctions were not the issue.”
The notion that the Blues could have gotten a new contract for their star centre-back if it weren’t for their ownership problems had been blown out of the water.
The true reason for Rudiger’s leaving is still to be revealed by the player, but it was discovered that it has been a long time coming, with the defender’s departure set to be confirmed in the coming days when Real Madrid officially announces his free move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The problems began in the early weeks of the 2020-21 season, when Frank Lampard told the Germany international that, following the arrival of Thiago Silva, he would be Chelsea’s fifth-choice centre back.
However, the offer he received marked the beginning of the end of his stay in west London.
Chelsea were only willing to offer Rudiger a one-year contract extension rather than new terms, which meant his income would continue at £100,000 per week until the summer of 2023.
The Blues would have also been willing to let him go on loan in the January 2021 transfer window, with AC Milan showing an interest before focusing on Rudiger’s Chelsea teammate Fikayo Tomori.
Regardless, Rudiger was willing to sign the contract and even verbally agreed to the terms. Director Marina Granovskaia rebuffed a request for a tiny signing-on bonus out of hand, despite the fact that it would help Chelsea retain the player’s value.
Rudiger’s time as a Chelsea player has been running out since then.
Not that you’d know it from his performance on the pitch, where the 29-year-old was essential in the club’s Champions League success after Thomas Tuchel replaced Lampard in the sidelines.
Rudiger’s performance under Tuchel prompted Chelsea to reopen contract talks in August 2021, with the Blues now willing to pay him £140,000 per week.
Both the player and his representatives thought that Rudiger was being undervalued, and negotiations halted once more, with no more contact between the two parties until January, when other teams were able to speak with the former Stuttgart star.
In a thoughtful interview with Players’ Tribune, Rudiger said, “Unfortunately, my contract talks had already started to get difficult last fall.”
“Business is business, but the situation becomes complicated when you don’t hear anything from the club from August to January.”
“There was a long period of nothing after the first offer. You know, we’re not robots. You can’t wait months when your future is so uncertain.
“No one saw the sanctions coming, but at the end of the day, other big clubs were showing interest, so I had to make a choice.” I’ll stop there because, aside from business, I have nothing negative to say about this club.
“Chelsea will always have a special place in my heart.” “London will always be my home.”
Rudiger’s last stand with Chelsea…. fittingly, he comes off with a clean sheet in tact. #cfc pic.twitter.com/NNmlnrBnO4
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) May 22, 2022
Chelsea did finally make Rudiger the kind of offer he wanted, but it was too late, with the sanctions levied against Roman Abramovich serving as a cover for a battle they had already lost.
Instead, Madrid came out on top in a race that included PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, with Rudiger telling Ralf Rangnick that he did not want to play for another Premier League side.
Rudiger would have gotten a significant wage raise this summer regardless of whether he chose Chelsea or another team, with the way contract talks were conducted at Stamford Bridge being the ultimate sticking point.
Only the fact that he has great ties with a number of players, including Tuchel, has kept him from speaking openly about his thoughts, which is why, unlike Barcelona-bound Andreas Christensen, he stayed with Chelsea until the end of the season.
There are now fears that Chelsea will face similar situations with players like N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Marcos Alonso, who are all out of contract at the end of next season, while Mason Mount and Reece James, who are among the lowest-paid players in the first-team squad, will require massive new deals if they are to stay.
For the time being, Chelsea fans can bemoan the departure of possibly their most consistent performer over the last 18 months.
Antonio Rudiger may never explain his exact motivations for quitting, but the message is clear if you read between the lines.
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