Antonio Rudiger’s future with Chelsea looks uncertain as contract negotiations are reportedly no closer to completion
Rudiger, 28, has 12 months left on his contract, and fresh reports from The Athletic have revealed that he is no closer to committing his long-term future with the club.
The Germany international has quickly become a fan favourite among the Chelsea fanbase, due to his impressive form shown in defence since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager from Frank Lampard in January.
Prior to Tuchel coming into the club, a large majority of the fanbase were split when it came to their personal opinions on Rudiger.
However, stats such as Rudiger being the fifth-best player in the league this season at winning a greater share of his aerial duels (75.8%) has shifted fan opinions.
Most Blues fans now see him as an integral part of the team going forward into the new season, and this has been demonstrated on social media with how some fans have reacted to the latest news in this contract saga.
One fan on Twitter said: “Nope, there’s no chance he’s leaving. I refuse to believe it.”
Another fan is quoted saying: “No way he leaves for free under Marina’s watch.”
There are a minority on social media who believe it could be the right time for Rudiger to move on with his career.
One fan tweeted: “Ok, if he wants to leave, we can't stop him. He put a masterclass under Tuchel, but if he doesn't want to play for the badge, there's nothing we can do.
“There's a new wave of talented CBs coming on so we should snatch one of them.”
Despite all the reaction on social media, one thing is for certain and that is Tuchel’s admiration and willingness to keep Rudiger at the club.
The German coach was a big fan of the 28-year-old when he was manager of PSG and - speaking as recently as last month - made his intentions clear when it came to Rudiger’s future in his side.
Chelsea’s head coach said: “If he wants a new contract, he has our full support to stay at the club. He is speaking with his performances. He has been amazing since day one.”
Since the news broke on social media on this latest development in this contract saga, Rudiger himself has come out and shown where his priorities lie at this current moment in time by tweeting a picture of himself in training for Germany with the caption 'Full focus and energy for [Germany flag]'.
Unsurprisingly, in the comments of his own tweet, many Chelsea fans have shown the 28-year-old their desire to see Rudiger stay at the club in the long term.
One fan commented: “Sign the contract Rudi.”
Another fan commented on his tweet saying: “Toni please stay, we love you so much.”
We are unlikely to hear any further developments on these contract talks until Germany’s - and more importantly Rudiger’s - involvement in the upcoming European Championships come to an end. They kick off their Euro campaign on Tuesday, where they face the tough test against tournament favourites France.
