Antonio Rudiger's Chelsea career looked as if it was beyond repair under Frank Lampard, but since Thomas Tuchel's arrival the Blues have been left scrambling as they look to tie down the defender's services.
The 28-year-old, who made his 100th Premier League appearance for Chelsea in the Blues' opening day 3-0 demolition over Crystal Palace, has just one year left on his contract in west London despite his re-emergence under his German counterpart.
Rudiger's time at Stamford Bridge is running out and the centre-half has told the former Paris Saint Germain boss he is committed to Chelsea but the club are yet to begin talks over a new contract, report Sky Sports.
Rudiger arrived in west London from AS Roma in 2017 for a deal worth £31.5 million while the club was under the tenure of Antonio Conte, but he has only recently blossomed into the stalwart defender that was initially expected.
His recent form has left Chelsea fans scratching their heads as to why a new contract hasn't been tabled, but he just part of a much wider issue at Stamford Bridge.
Rudiger is one of four key first-team players - Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta - whose contracts run out by the end of next season.
There was considerable uncertainty regarding the futures of various players last term under Lampard, but Tuchel has been able to bring the best out of his squad.
This has forced Marina Granvoskaia, Chelsea's technical director, to make a u-turn on the futures of players that previously may have been marked as free to leave.
However, despite this, Rudiger has transformed himself into a battle-hardened defender that has struck fear into some of Europe's leading strikers.
Rudiger, who made 27 appearances for Tuchel last season averaging 89.4 minutes a game, played an important role in securing the club's second Champions League trophy, keeping clean sheets against the likes of Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
The centre-half has found a way of being able to channel his aggression under Tuchel, or by simply just wearing his infamous mask, into becoming a mainstay figure at Chelsea.
Following Rudiger's succession of impressive performances last season, Tuchel left the door open for the defender to extend his stay.
He said: "Nothing is better than what he is doing for a new contract. If he wants to have 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. I had a clear picture of what he can deliver to a team and he took the chance."
The Blues boss continued as he detailed how pleased he has been to see the defender channel his aggression into becoming a leader among the squad.
"He is an aggressive leader," Tuchel said. "He has this natural aggression in him. He hates to lose, is hard to beat in duels, is very brave, and full of energy in his defending.
“He is leading by example and has a very positive aggression in him. This is what we like. When he can channel all this into top performances, as he does now, we are all very happy to have him."
