Mueez Ajao
– Real Madrid have reached a preliminary agreement with Antonio Rudiger for the Chelsea centre-back to move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer this summer.
– The club and the Germany international’s representatives are still working on aspects of the deal, but Rudiger, 29, is now on track to sign for Madrid on a four-year contract, sources said.
– Last week that Madrid were looking at the possibility of signing Rudiger — having distanced themselves from a deal earlier in the season — after club executives were impressed by his performances in their Champions League quarterfinal tie with Chelsea.
Also Read: Tuchel confirms Antonio Rudiger is leaving Chelsea
– Rudiger scored Chelsea’s second goal at the Bernabeu on April 12 in a dramatic 3-2 win that saw the Premier League club eliminated 5-4 on aggregate after extra time.
– Madrid began working on a agreement for the defender after that second leg, and sources said the deal could now be sealed “in record time.”
– Negotiations have moved fast, sources said, because Rudiger is keen to join Madrid, and has also considerably reduced his wage demands.
– Earlier this season Madrid had ruled out the signing because they did not want to get involved in an expensive bidding war for Rudiger with other top clubs.
– The situation changed in recent weeks, and Madrid decided to move after Carlo Ancelotti’s team had problems forming a reliable back four in key games at this stage of the season.
– Rudiger’s arrival would see the team strengthen at centre-back with a top-level player, arriving without a transfer fee, just as they did with the signing of David Alaba from Bayern Munich last summer.
– It would also allow Ancelotti to deploy Alaba at left-back if he wishes, pairing Rudiger with Eder Militao at centre-back.
– On Saturday that Rudiger had rejected Chelsea’s latest contract renewal offer — worth over £200,000 a week — and coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed on Sunday that the defender would be leaving Stamford Bridge.
– “The situation is that he wants to leave the club,” Tuchel said. “He informed me of this is in a private talk. We gave everything — me and the club — but we could not fight anymore.
– “Without the sanctions we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but our hands are tied. We don’t take it personally. It is his decision.”
