Chelsea are reportedly planning to resume talks with their 28-year-old star Antonio Rudiger over a new contract.
According to the Daily Mail, the Blues previously tried to renew his deal when Frank Lampard was in charge before allowing him to leave.
But the £29million (BBC) defender is back in favour under new manager Thomas Tuchel, who is playing him regularly.
The report states that Chelsea will “accelerate” discussions over a new contract before this summer’s European Championships, as they don’t want doubt hanging over his future during the Euros.
It is understood that major European clubs are alerted to his situation, as his current deal at Stamford Bridge expires in 2022 at the end of next season.
The Chronicle View
If you look back to earlier in the current campaign, it looked like Rudiger’s time in west London was drawing to a close.
But the powerhouse centre-back may now have a future long-term.
The Germany international has been with the Blues since 2017, and right now he’s thriving in Tuchel’s system.
He’s now a mainstay as the left-sided centre-back in a back three, showing the kind of consistency and quality he can have.
Chelsea will be dong the wise thing by trying to tie him down to a new deal, as there is every chance otherwise he attracts interest in the summer when his contract situation would be vulnerable.
Keep up to date wth all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Twitter account here.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
