Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Antonio Rudiger intends to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires.
Talks with the German centre-back, who has been most heavily linked with a free transfer to Real Madrid, have been unsuccessful and Rudiger has already informed Tuchel he plans to go.
Behind the scenes, Chelsea have been resigned to losing Rudiger for some time, which 90min revealed back in December – disparity between his demands and what the club was willing to offer led to an early acceptance that a parting of ways would be the final outcome.
“Toni, the media is on it,” Tuchel told Sky Sports after Chelsea’s narrow win over West Ham. “The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this is in a private talk.”
Sanctions brought against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in recent weeks made things more difficult, with the club restricted under a special license. Even though contract talks had not yielded an agreement in several prior months, it has proven to be the final straw.
“We gave everything - me and the club - but we could not fight anymore because of the actions. Without the sanctions we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but out hands are tied. We don't take it personally. It is his decision,” Tuchel explained.
"He is a key figure and will stay that way until the end of the season. But it is disappointing. We will miss him a lot. He gives courage in the dressing room. The kind everyone is afraid of, but the kind to play 50-55 games at an outstanding level.
“He is a top defender in the last one and a half years for me. We then need to find another solution."
Listen now to 90min's brand new podcast, Talking Transfers, with Scott Saunders & Graeme Bailey. Toby Cudworth joins the show this week to discuss contract situations at West Ham, while there are updates on Man City's pursuit of Erling Haaland and Chelsea's plans for Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea paid around £30m to sign Rudiger from Roma in 2017.
The Blues are also set to lose Andreas Christensen on a free transfer – the Dane is joining Barcelona, while captain Cesar Azpilicueta is another coming to the end of his deal.
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Source : 90min