Thomas Tuchel confirms Antonio Rudiger wants to quit Chelsea – We couldnt fight anymore

Chelsea v West Ham: Match in pictures

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Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Antonio Rudiger wants to leave the reigning Champions League holders in the summer. The Blues chief shared the news in the aftermath of Chelsea’s last-gasp 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday afternoon.

Rudiger is due to be a free agent at the end of the season and speculation over his long-term future has rumbled on for months, with a number of top European clubs reportedly tracking the defender. The 29-year-old has evolved into a pivotal member of the Blues squad since Tuchel took charge, but the club have been unable to come to an agreement with the German star.

Tuchel told Sky Sports: “Toni, the media is on it. The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this is in a private talk. We gave everything – me and the club – but we could not fight anymore because of the actions. Without the sanctions we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but out hands are tied. We don’t take it personally. It is his decision.”

And Tuchel admitted that Rudiger’s exit will significantly weaken the reigning European champions. He added: “He is a key figure and will stay that way until the end of the season. But it is disappointing. We will miss him a lot.

“He gives courage in the dressing room. The kind everyone is afraid of, but the kind to play 50-55 games at an outstanding level. He is a top defender in the last one and a half years for me. We then need to find another solution.”

Rudiger was absent for Sunday’s tedious derby clash against the Hammers, with the Blues won late on. Neither side could break the deadlock in a fairly tepid first half, with Chelsea spurning a host of decent chances after the break.

The hosts were handed a golden opportunity to pinch the points after Romelu Lukaku was bundled over in the penalty area late in the match, but Jorginho’s weak spot-kick was easily saved by Lukas Fabianski. Fortunately, Christian Pulisic spared Jorginho’s blushes in the 90th minute when he fired home a last-gasp winner.

Craig Dawson was sent off after his tangle with Lukaku, and Tuchel admitted that the late red card opened the door for the Blues to steal a late goal. Tuchel said: “It seemed a bit stuck. But we knew it. It can feel like this against West Ham who defend with a lot of bodies and discipline. We have to wait for the moments.

“We had some accelerations with Mason from midfield but nobody was joining. It felt stuck. We controlled it but could not find spaces. It was also not the moment to take every risk after our recent results. We wanted to control their counter attacks. The red card maybe opened more space to allow the late answer.”

And Tuchel reserved praise for Pulisic and Lukaku after the impact they made from the bench. He added: “I am happy for him. I told him he had good impact. Romelu was involved with the penalty. Hakim was dangerous and Puli got the goal. He lacked confidence in recent matches.”

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