PSG set sights on frozen out Chelsea defender after Lampard snub

Antonio Rudiger TEAMtalk

Antonio Rudiger is on the verge of leaving Chelsea after being left out of their squad for the second game in a row.

Rudiger has spent three years at Stamford Bridge since joining from Roma in a £29m deal. He has made 115 appearances in that time.

However, he may not be able to add to that tally. Rudiger was absent from Chelsea’s matchday squad against Liverpool at the weekend, and Frank Lampard has once again overlooked him for their midweek Carabao Cup clash with Barnsley.

According to the Daily Mail and the Telegraph, that’s because Rudiger could soon leave the club.

The German international has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge since the arrival of Thiago Silva from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma are all also competing for a place at the back.

Therefore, Lampard is running out of space for Rudiger, who only played in 20 Premier League games last season.

The Daily Mail claims that Rudiger could replace Silva at PSG. The French champions are keen on the 27-year-old, with a loan deal possible.

Rudiger is out of contract in 2022, so with no talks planned over a renewal, Chelsea must try and sell him before that date. A successful loan spell could help their chances of getting him off the books permanently.

Rudiger exit to precede Rice swoop?

 

The Telegraph add that once Rudiger has left the club, Chelsea will focus their attention on signing Declan Rice from West Ham.

Chelsea have been pushing for Rice all summer, as they look to secure the return of a player who has come on leaps and bounds since leaving their academy as a teenager.

Lampard needs to clear a space in his squad before he can sign the England international, though – and Rudiger will likely be the one to make way.

Fikayo Tomori could have left the club instead, with Everton and Rennes considering a loan bid for the England international.

However, Tomori has beaten Rudiger to a place in recent squads, so Chelsea may prefer to keep him instead.