Antonio Rudiger ready to listen to new Chelsea contract offer
Given the potential he has for a signing-on fee if he moves Chelsea may have to offer a hefty loyalty bonus to keep him
Matt Law, FOOTBALL NEWS CORRESPONDENT13 January 2022 • 5:00pm
Chelsea have not yet given up hope of persuading Antonio Rudiger to sign a new contract with the defender ready to listen to a second offer from the club.
But the club face a big hurdle over how to compete with clubs who may be ready to offer Rudiger a lucrative signing on fee to move on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Chelsea are expected to make a renewed attempt to keep Rudiger at the club past this season and the 28 year-old is understood to have not yet ruled out the possibility of staying at Stamford Bridge, despite receiving approaches from European clubs.
Real Madrid, however, have claimed to have cooled their interest and that has encouraged Chelsea that there may still be an opportunity to keep him, with Rudiger in the final six months of his current deal.
Rudiger rejected Chelsea’s first offer of around £140,000-a-week and instead wants a basic wage close to £200,000-a-week, which the Blues could get close to matching.
Chelsea might have to offer Rudiger a hefty loyalty bonus
But Rudiger would effectively bump his weekly wage up to almost £400,000-a-week by accepting a big signing-on fee to move elsewhere at the end of his Chelsea contract and that presents a problem for the European champions.
While Rudiger might be ultimately prepared to accept less to stay at Chelsea, it is highly unlikely he would agree to completely pass up the last chance of a big career pay day.
That leaves Chelsea with the choice of effectively offering their own player a signing-on fee, which could take the form of a loyalty bonus, or hope that the offers talked about from overseas do not materialise.
Rudiger is the same age, 28, as club record signing Romelu Lukaku, who signed a five-year contract thought to be worth around £325,000-a-week when he moved to Chelsea from Inter Milan last summer.
While Ruidger’s representatives are likely to accept that Chelsea will not offer to match Lukaku’s terms, the length and size of the Belgian’s deal has given them a reference point.
Rudiger scored Chelsea’s only goal in the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg victory over Tottenham Hotspur this week and produced another man-of-the-match performance.
After the game, head coach Thomas Tuchel spoke optimistically about Rudiger’s future, saying: “Everybody knows [the situation - he is out of contract at the end of the season], let's wait and see. Of course [we are confident of keeping him]. We have things to offer and he is the player he is in a Chelsea shirt and a Chelsea environment. He knows that very well.”
Chelsea look for Chilwell cover
Other than discussing the future of Rudiger, Chelsea are reassessing their options to find cover for injured left wing-back Ben Chilwell.
Lyon have rejected two attempts by Chelsea to recall Emerson Palmieri, while Barcelona would be prepared to send Sergino Dest on an initial loan with a view to a permanent move. The fact the 21 year-old can play at right-back, as well as left-back, with Reece James also injured, makes him an interesting proposition.
Malang Sarr started at left-back in a back four Tuchel played against Spurs, but the German said the 22 year-old would not be an option to fill in at left wing-back in Chilwell’s absence.
After the Spurs game, Tuchel said: “We did not play wing-back, so for me he can play a full-back in the position like today. He can play centre back and in the left position of a back three.”
