Jorginho
admits Chelsea will “miss” Antonio Rudiger after Spanish football journalist
Alvaro Montero told Sky Sports News on Tuesday the defender’s move to Real
Madrid is a “done deal”.
The 29-year-old's current contract expires at the end of the season and he
now looks set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Montero told Sky Sports News: "I asked someone inside the club [Real Madrid]
yesterday and he started laughing and said, 'Yes, it's a done deal'.
"Things can change but there is a deal between the player and the club.
"I believe when he scored at the Bernabeu [for Chelsea in the Champions
League this month] he was already a Real Madrid player.
Rudiger has been a key part of Chelsea's success in recent seasons having
won five trophies with the club, including last year's Champions League.
Chelsea team-mate Jorginho believes the German will be a big loss for the
team if he was to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
The Italian told Sky Sports News: "He's been here a long time so if he
leaves then we're going to miss him.
"He's a big personality and he's helped us a lot. We've had amazing times
here; he's a good friend of mine and of course if he leaves everyone at the
club will miss him, not just me."
Asked what he will miss the most about Rudiger, the 30-year-old laughed:
"His craziness. He makes me laugh a lot; all of his jokes and laughs we've
had together - that's the nice part."
Kounde to replace Rudiger?
Jules Kounde has paved the way for a move to Chelsea this summer by telling
Sevilla he remains determined to leave the Spanish club, the PA news agency
understands.
France defender Kounde saw a long-mooted transfer to Chelsea fall apart last
summer, after Sevilla refused to let the highly-rated centre-back leave for
less than his £68.5m (€80m) release clause.
Chelsea thought they had a deal wrapped up, only for Sevilla to dig in at
the last with the switch falling through just before the summer's transfer
window closed.
But with Chelsea also set to lose centre-back Andreas Christensen this
summer on a free transfer, with Barcelona looking a likely destination for
the Dane, the Blues will be in the market for central defenders.
Chelsea cannot make any new signings or complete fresh contract terms with
existing players under the club's UK Government sanctions.
The club's sale should be completes next month however, allowing Chelsea
bosses to revert to business as usual.
Chelsea have lost clear ground in the transfer market due to the club's
licensing constraints as a result of the sanctions on owner Roman
Abramovich.
But Stamford Bridge chiefs still hope to be able to compete in the summer's
transfer window, leaving Kounde among the club's top targets.
Chelsea have never let their interest in the nine-cap France defender wane
and will be expected to step up efforts to recruit the 23-year-old once the
club's sale is complete.
Rudiger's calmness will be missed by
Chelsea
Analysis from Sky Sports' Sam Blitz at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea's
1-0 win over West Ham:
News that Rudiger is leaving Chelsea is far from a shock. This was not a
bolt out of the blue for Blues boss Tuchel.
Sky Sports News has been reporting since the turn of the year that the
German defender has been speaking to other clubs, including the likes of
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, over a pre-contract agreement
which would result in a free transfer.
The problem Tuchel now faces is how to replace his compatriot - if he can.
There's a race against time for Chelsea to officially complete their
takeover by the time the summer transfer window starts. New owners need to
be decided, Government approval is needed, and that's before the
conversation about what funds are available even begins.
Finding a player that can match Rudiger's standards over the last 18 months
will not be easy.
The centre-back was brought back into the Chelsea starting line-up when
Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge in January 2021, after enduring a fraught
relationship with former boss Frank Lampard - who even went as far as to
exile him.
Since Rudiger came back into the fold, Chelsea have won the Champions
League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, victories they owe in no small
part to defensive solidity.
The security Rudiger provides is evidenced by the statistic that Chelsea
have conceded twice as many goals (1.4) with him out of the team, compared
to when he plays (0.7).
Against West Ham on Sunday, Tuchel's Chelsea restricted their opponents to
zero shots on target in the game - but that does not tell the whole story.
Centre-backs Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah - both used in a
makeshift back three after Andreas Christensen was injured in the warm-up -
looked sloppy in possession in defensive transitions.
Both had their pockets picked by Said Benrahma in the space of a matter of
moments, and only defensive astuteness from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and
Thiago Silva bailed the pair out. How long the latter - 37 years of age -
can go on will be a concern, although there are few signs of his powers
diminishing.
Tuchel summed up the hole Rudiger will leave behind: "It will be incredibly
difficult because Toni is what he is: a big personality, a big leader. He
takes fear away and gives confidence when he's next to you, and between 50
or 60 matches [he plays] with an incredible level of consistency."
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