Juventus have overtaken the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the race to sign Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea.
The German international is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, having already turned down two new offers from his current club, and with the Blues currently under sanctions which blocks them from offering him new terms at present.
That will all be sorted out before the end of the term you would imagine however, so he could still end up staying put, but it does pose as the perfect opportunity for clubs in Europe to discuss his potential signing.
Latest reports claim that it is the Old Lady who have now forged their way into the lead, with The Sun (via the Metro) claiming that we are swaying him with the idea that he would be our long-term replacement for Giorgio Chiellini, with the chance to pair with him at the back during the Euro 2020 winner’s final year playing football.
I’m not entirely sure if I’m sold on Rudiger being the man to take over as the leader when Chiellini moves on, but he is a strong defender with plenty of experience, and he could well be suited to the Italian division.
I do wonder if this means that we are considering allowing Matthijs De Ligt to leave in the summer however, with Antonio believed to be in want of a hefty wage and signing on fee, and I wonder how we are looking to cover that outlay.
Patrick
