Chelsea’s £3m rebuff risks Thomas Tuchel anguish ahead of January transfer window

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Antonio Rudiger looks set to leave Chelsea with the Blues refusing to meet demands made by their central defender, according to reports. The German centre-back had been made an outcast under Frank Lampard before Thomas Tuchel took over in January this year.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss quickly brought Rudiger back in from the cold and immediately made him a centre-piece of his backline.

And Rudiger repaid his new manager with some stellar performances at the back, playing a key role in helping Chelsea win the Champions League.

He’s grown from strength to strength this season with Chelsea conceding just five goals to hold the best defensive record in the league after 13 games.

But throughout the summer there was an underlying threat over Rudiger’s long-term future at the club.

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His contract expires at the end of the season and Chelsea have been in constant negotiations with Rudiger’s representatives over a new deal.

Tuchel made it clear earlier this month that he wanted a “happy ending” to the ordeal.

“I am absolutely sure he feels the trust and respect and the love from the club and from the spectators,” Tuchel said recently.

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“He is a big competitor and he is in exactly the right spot. He is in the most competitive league, he is at a club where he really matters and that suits him perfectly, so let’s be patient and hopefully we have a good ending.”

However, Goal report that any chance of an agreement between Rudiger and Chelsea is far away and it appears more likely than ever that he will leave.

It is claimed that Real Madrid are the frontrunners for his signature with Chelsea’s latest offer said to be in the region of £7million net profit per year.

That roughly works out as £134,000-a-week, which is reported to be less than the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Rudiger is said to be holding out for closer to £10m net profit per year – a little under £200,000-a-week.

But it is reported that Real, along with Bayern Munich, will also struggle to meet those demands.

Paris Saint-Germain are named as potential suitors with Mauricio Pochettino keen to shore up his defence.

For Chelsea, losing Rudiger would come as a huge blow as the 28-year-old has started all but one league game this season.

A replacement would have to be signed, but Tuchel’s made it clear that he’s a big fan of working with Rudiger.

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