Chelsea exit still on the cards; player feels ‘disrespected’ by contract offer
A Chelsea star reportedly feels ‘disrespected’ by the contract terms offered to him recently
and could yet leave Stamford Bridge.
The Blues return to action this weekend after the latest round of international fixtures.
They face Brentford on Saturday at 17:30.
Thomas Tuchel’s men will go into the match as favourites. However, they will need to
be alert to overcome a side which has adapted quickly to the Premier League.
Chelsea sit top of the table with 16 points from seven games. They have beaten fellow
‘Big Six’ teams Arsenal and Tottenham already this campaign, with their only defeat
coming against Man City.
One major reason for their recent success is the defence. Tuchel has created a solid
backline in the usual 3-4-2-1 formation.
Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen usually operate as the back-three.
Cesar Azpilicueta or Reece James are selected at right wing-back, while Marcos Alonso and
Ben Chilwell share duties on the other flank.
However, Tuchel’s starting eleven could be weakened if the club cannot solve an ongoing
issue.
Germany international Rudiger is out of contract in June. That means interested clubs such
as Bayern Munich and Barcelona can sign him for free next summer.
They can even organise a pre-contract agreement with the 28-year-old as early as January.
Chelsea are hoping to keep the centre-back. They have opened discussions and recently
tabled an offer.
German source Sport1 (via Sport Witness) provide an update on the negotiations. They
claim that Rudiger felt ‘disrespected’ by the contract as it did not meet his wage
expectations.
The defender wants to receive a major pay rise to reward his recent form. He wants at
least €10m (£8.4m) per season.
Chelsea are unwilling to agree to that sum straight away. As such, Rudiger’s departure
remains a possibility.
There is hope for the club’s director, Marina Granovskaia, who is heading up the talks. Sport1 state
that Rudiger ‘feels at home’ in west London and would ideally like to stay.
If that is not possible then German champions Bayern could swoop in. Rudiger considers the
Bavarians to be an ‘interesting’ option.
Didi Hamann, who played for Liverpool between 1999 and 2006, has provided a damning assessment
of Chelsea’s title chances.
The Blues are expected to challenge Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool for the league crown.
But Hamann reckons Tuchel was gifted the Champions League and that his team will fall short
in the Prem.
He told Goal in Germany: “I don’t think they are on the same level as Liverpool and
Manchester City.
You can win the Champions League if you don’t have the best team, but the championship you
can’t. That’s why third place would be the highest of feelings for Chelsea.
“Thomas Tuchel also benefitted in the [UCL] final from the madness Pep Guardiola put on,
playing without a defensive midfielder.
“But they were 25 [actually 19] points behind Manchester City in the league last season.
[They] have also been taught a lesson by them recently.”