Report: Chelsea now considering £109m player as a Rudiger replacement, Guardiola previously wanted to sign him

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Chelsea have reportedly added Jose Gimenez to their list of candidates who could take over from Antonio Rudiger next season.

According to Goal, the Atletico Madrid is back on the radar of the Blues, having previously been linked with them last March.

Gimenez now joins a growing roster of players the European champions have identified as a possible successor to Rudiger’s throne.

The German international will move to Real Madrid in the summer, following a dispute with the board over a wage increase.

He is set to be joined in Spain by Andreas Christensen, who has been edging towards Barcelona for some time.

Cesar Azpilicueta could walk the same path as Christensen, with Barca also keen to sign the Chelsea captain.

Who are Chelsea targeting?

If the La Liga sides get their way, Thomas Tuchel’s defence will be threadbare by the start of the next season.

Unless, of course, the chain of command can crash the market by obtaining a few new faces.

They cannot do this until the new owners are in place, but this won’t stop them from formulating a plan of attack.

Getting revenge on the Spanish top flight for raiding Stamford Bridge seems to be on the agenda.

Since the news of Rudiger’s departure hit our screens, Chelsea have been linked with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Pau Torres of Villarreal.

Kounde has remained a target of the club’s hierarchy ever since his failed move to London last summer.

Torres meanwhile has already boosted his stock by rejecting a move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2021.

Jose Gimenez

Gimenez on the other hand hasn’t really come up in conversation amongst Chelsea circles much recently, other than when he faced Tuchel’s team in the Champions League last year.

The 27-year-old hasn’t exactly shone under Diego Simeone in the past few terms, with repeated injuries impacting his form.

However, even the great Pep Guardiola reportedly wanted a slice of the Uruguayan.

Despite another disrupted campaign, Manchester City reportedly wanted to add Gimenez to their rearguard in 2020.

Atletico responded by ordering his £109m release clause be paid in full.

City instead signed Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake and went on to win the title.

Perhaps avoiding Gimenez is the way Chelsea also need to go to secure Premier League silverware…

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