Antonio Rudiger has opened up about his Chelsea future after he was close to leaving the club over the summer.
The German defender was tipped for a move away from Stamford Bridge during the most recent transfer window after falling down the pecking order under Frank Lampard.
He emerged as a target for London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and French giants Paris Saint-Germain - but ultimately ended up staying put.
Germany national team boss Joachim Low was quoted as saying Rudiger "tried everything to leave Chelsea" in a bid to secure regular first-team football.
But he has now been brought back into the fold by Lampard and after a couple of Champions League outings, the 27-year-old made his first Premier League appearance of the season in Saturday's 2-0 win at Newcastle United.
"I’m satisfied with how the situation has developed in the past weeks," Rudiger told German media outlet SID, as reported by Metro.
"Now I see myself as a permanent part of the team.
"I had a tough time, so I also checked other transfer options but I received positive signals from the coaching team."
Speaking in October, Low said: “I was in constant contact with Rudiger, he was keeping me in the loop.
“He had three or four options over the weekend but unfortunately nothing materialised - he can try again in the winter.
“He tried everything to leave Chelsea because the European Championship (next summer) is very important to him.
"I think he’ll try to leave again in the winter. He’s doing everything he can to stay in his best form.”
The situation may have changed since then, though Rudiger was recently linked with a January move to Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Rudiger also gave his verdict on compatriot Timo Werner's start to life as a Chelsea player following his big-money summer move from RB Leipzig.
"The league has accepted Timo really well," Rudiger added.
"Timo integrated into the team and the league very quickly.
"He can use his speed very well, causes defenders huge problems and exudes confidence all the time."
