Reports have claimed that some people at Chelsea believe that standards would not have dropped as low as they are right now if Antonio Rudiger was still at the club.
According to The Athletic, the loss of the German’s strong personality has been sorely missed now things have got tough at Stamford Bridge.
Sanctions put on the club a year ago saw them unable to offer new contracts to players, causing them a big problem when it came to Rudiger.
After establishing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Blues, they now found themselves in a position where they were set to lose him at the end of the season.
This is exactly what happened, with the 29-year-old now an important member of the backline at Real Madrid.
It has been claimed by The Athletic that some people at Chelsea believe he would be the perfect person to help get the Blues out of the mess they’re in right now,
Chelsea staff miss Rudiger’s presence
A run of just two wins in 14 games has simply not been good enough, as the team languish in 10th and in danger of exiting the Champions League.
Manager Graham Potter is under immense pressure, as matchgoers begin to voice their frustrations at the job he is currently doing.
Rudiger’s direct replacement has certainly not lived up to the standards required either.
Kalidou Koulibaly joined the club off the back of a number of successful seasons in Italy, however has struggled to bring much quality to Stamford Bridge.
He has recently seen his regular place in the starting line-up taken off him, with Benoit Badiashile forming an impressive partnership so far with Thiago Silva, who no doubt remains a crucial member of the side despite his age.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
