Pay up
Chelsea have been told they should consider making Antonio Rudiger the club’s highest paid player rather than risking him leaving for free next summer.
Rudiger has been a revelation under Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, putting himself in the world’s top bracket of centre backs with some outstanding displays.
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The German international had fallen out of favour under previous head coach Frank Lampard, but has since emerged as one of the Blues’ key men.
Rudiger was crucial in Chelsea’s Champions League final winning campaign last season, while he is also one of the first names on the team sheet for Germany under new boss Hansi Flick and previous manager Joachim Low.
However, Rudiger’s current deal at Stamford Bridge ends in the summer of 2022, and Chelsea could risk losing the 28-year-old for free.
Both parties are reportedly at an impasse over contract terms, with Rudiger turning down an offer of £125,000 per week.
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Former Chelsea and Germany defender Robert Huth believes the Blues can’t risk losing the star defender, with the cost of replacing him far outweighing any salary increase.
“From a Chelsea point of view, do you give Antonio Rudiger what he wants and consider how much it would cost Chelsea to replace him?” Huth said.
“When Lampard was in charge, it didn't look like he was going to turn it around as well as he has done.”
Rudiger was linked with a move to PSG during the summer, and there will be plenty of top clubs more than happy to pay him what he wants on a free deal next year.
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Bayern Munich have also been linked to the former Roma and Stuttgart defender, while Real Madrid are still searching for replacements for Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.
Rudiger reportedly wants as much as £400,000 a week in any new deal, which would make him Chelsea’s highest paid player, earning £50,000 more than Romelu Lukaku.
But as the £80million purchase of Harry Magurie and £75m deal for Virgil van Dijk have shown, defenders don’t come cheap.
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“He's been absolutely brilliant. In reality, what would it cost to replace him? It'll probably cost around £40-50million to replace him,” Huth explained.
“They know what he can do and he's been performing well. It's a good position for Antonio to be in terms of negotiations because all the top clubs in Europe will be looking at him.”
Rudiger joined Chelsea from Roma for £29m in 2017, and has since amassed 159 appearances, winning the Champions League, Europa League, and an FA Cup.
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