Despite being one of the pillars of Thomas Tuchel’s side, Antonio Rudiger seems to be on his way out of Chelsea.
The German defender is running on an expiring contract, and he could become a sought-after free agent by the end of the season.
Juventus were previously mentioned as one of the teams who are interested in bringing the former Roma defender back to Serie A.
However, the Old Lady could be left behind in the race, as two Spanish giants are reportedly battling for his signature.
According to AS via TuttoJuve, Real Madrid and Barcelona are ready to open an auction for Rudiger.
Both Spanish clubs are working on improving their defenses. The capital side saw their former captain, Sergio Ramos leave the club last summer alongside Raphael Varane. On the other hand, the Catalans’ shaky backline in only one of their endless concerns.
While the Bianconeri were considered to be the experts in poaching free agents (with the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Sami Khedira and Emre Can all arriving on Bosman deals), the dire financial situation has forced the majority of the top European clubs to adopt a similar market strategy.
The Old Lady can still rely on the services of Matthijs de Ligt for the future, but the management should start preparing for life without the aging Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini who only have few years left in the tank.
