Blues icon Paul Canoville has reacted to reports claiming Antonio Rudiger has decided to leave Chelsea on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Various reports recently claimed that Rudiger, whose contract with Chelsea expires at the end of the season, has made the decision to leave Stamford Bridge.
The Telegraph mentioned that the 29-year-old’s representatives wanted a bigger deal than the one Chelsea offered which was worth over £200,000-a-week.
In addition to that, Chelsea reportedly could not agree to the representatives’ demands of a £10million signing-on fee and agent fees in the same region.
The club is also not allowed to offer new contracts to players amid the sanctioning of club owner Roman Abramovich which further complicates the situation.
As it stands, it remains unclear when the sale process of the club will reach its conclusion, which is likely a factor in Rudiger’s reported decision.
However, Canoville insisted that the prospective Chelsea buyers should have done more to keep such a key player at the club.
“[Is there] something I don’t understand?” he wrote on Twitter.
“It’s obvious Thomas Tuchel wants you to stay, @Tonirudiger. The fans want you to stay.
“Most importantly, YOU want to stay.
“Why haven’t all perspective owners given Marina [Granovskaia] the green light to whisper in your ear it’s a done deal.
“Why the stupidity running the clock down?”
The Germany international has been one of Chelsea’s best players this season, and replacing him could prove difficult and costly.
The centre-back has played more minutes than any other Chelsea player in the Premier League this term, including Edouard Mendy, which highlights how heavily Tuchel relies on him.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
