Antonio Rudiger breaks silence on Chelsea future and Bayern Munich links

Antonio Rudiger says he’s flattered to attract interest from Bayern Munich but ‘feels good’ at Chelsea and remains fully focussed on the season ahead.

The 28-year-old central defender is out of contract next summer and is therefore free to open talks with overseas teams from as early as January regarding a possible move.

Bayern, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain have all been alerted to the situation and are ready to test Chelsea’s resolve for the Germany international, who played a key role in the club’s Champions League success last term.

However, Thomas Tuchel views Rudiger as a integral member of his squad going forward and the ex-Roma and Stuttgart man has reportedly been offered a bumper £120,000-a-week deal to stay on in west London.

Rudiger has kept Chelsea nervously waiting as he mulls over his options, but the centre-back dropped the biggest hint yet that he’s finally ready to put pen to paper on a new contract during a chat with Bild’s Christian Falk.

Asked whether he would like to return to the Bundesliga next summer, Rudiger replied: ‘I feel good at Chelsea where I am now, so that fits.

‘The interest from Bayern Munich honours me because that shows that I’ve done a few things right recently.’

Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann has repeatedly batted away questions surrounding a possible bid for Rudiger and the club’s sporting director adopted a similar approach when quizzed on the matter last week.

‘We are really well filled in the centre-back position,’ Hasan Salihamidzic told DAZN.

‘We have strengthened ourselves very well and brought in a top player in Dayot Upamecano.

‘Lucas Hernandez is here, Tanguy Nianzou is there and Benjamin Pavard can also play inside so we really are very, very well staffed.’

Rudiger has made 159 appearances for Chelsea since arriving from Roma in a £29million deal back in 2017.

In that time, the German has helped the club win the Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the Super Cup.

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