Antonio Rudiger committed to Chelsea despite contract delays
By Tom Gott
Centre-back Antonio Rudiger has told Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel that he remains completely committed to the club, despite a lack of progress in contract negotiations.
Rudiger was an integral part of the Chelsea side who won the Champions League, but his future remains uncertain as he enters the final 12 months of his current contract. 90min revealed in April that provisional talks over a new deal had been held, but there has been no progress as of yet.
Things got a little nervy for Chelsea fans when The Athletic revealed that Rudiger had delayed those talks and was considering his long-term future at the club. Chelsea want to keep the German around but would not hesitate to sell him this summer if the alternative is losing him for free next year.
In the next twist in this story, Sky Sports News state that Rudiger has personally informed Tuchel that he is completely committed to the club and he intends to be playing his football at Stamford Bridge next year.
Rudiger, who turned 28 in March, is understood to see his next contract as perhaps his final chance to land a lucrative deal, and so he wants to consider all of his options carefully.
According to this latest report, Rudiger ideally wants to stay at Chelsea - whom he hopes will offer him a new long-term contract. Whether the Blues will meet his demands remains to be seen.
It's not a question of Chelsea not valuing Rudiger. Club officials are keen to tie him down to a new deal and believe he has more than earned it after starring in the run to Champions League glory, but his age doesn't work in his favour.
The Blues are known for their reluctance to commit to players approaching 30 years old, and while the strict one-year extension rule has been done away with, lucrative long-term deals aren't happily handed out to ageing players at Stamford Bridge.
With reports suggesting he is eyeing a four-year deal, Chelsea would have to commit to the German until he is 32 years old. That's obviously not out of the question, but it's also not as simple as it perhaps could be.
Talks are expected to resume after Euro 2020, when Chelsea will be eager to see a speedy resolution. The Blues will be reluctant to let him start the season on an expiring deal and will want plenty of time to replace him if needs be.