According to a recent report by Goal, German international defender Antonio Rudiger is touted to have ‘tried everything to find a way out of Chelsea in the summer transfer window. German national team manager Joachim Low revealed that he had been in constant touch with the 27-year-old and that the former AS Roma man was keen to find a move away from Stamford Bridge. The defender reportedly had several offers to move away from west London in the recent transfer window, but none of them seemed to materialise.
Although the report has claimed that Antonio Rudiger tried everything to leave Chelsea in January, whether or Lampard has the big centre-half in his plans for the season remains to be seen. Speaking at a press conference, German manager Low said, “I’ve been keeping an eye on things the last few days, what happened in the final hours [of the transfer window], how many changes there were at the last minute. I think a lot of players will get game time this season – 11 players can’t get you through a whole season.”
What Is Chelsea’s Current Defensive Situation?
For all the signings that Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side made over the course of the summer, the one thing they didn’t do is find a long-term solution to the defensive issue. While the arrival of an experienced head like Thiago Silva is sure to help their cause, by no means can he be depended on for more than a maximum of a couple of seasons. Now 36, the Brazilian is surely into the final years of his career, and the best outcome for Chelsea would be if some of their young centre-halves pick up some important tips from the former PSG man and take over the reins once he departs.
So far this season, Lampard’s preferred defensive duo has been Silva playing alongside Kurt Zouma, but the Frenchman himself has a history of making erratic decisions. As good as he has been so far this season, depending on him for the entirety of the campaign could prove to be suicidal. The other options include the aforementioned Rudiger, Danish ace Andreas Christensen, and youth product Fikayo Tomori. As things stand, it looks like the German has fallen all the way down that pecking order though.
What Has Caused Rudiger’s Downfall At Chelsea?
The German international defender has been a regular in Joachim Low’s side for a while now, which begs the question as to why he has been so poor for Chelsea. Although he was arguably the Blues’ best defender for two years straight after joining, the last campaign proved to be a calamitous one for the former Roma man. Not only did he cost the Blues a plethora of goals with his poor decision making, but there were even points during the season where it looked like Rudiger had completely forgotten how to defend. Despite his struggles, he played in 20 league games for the Blues last time around but is yet to make any sort of appearance this season.
Antonio Rudiger Tried Everything To Leave Chelsea In January: Should Lampard Cash In During The Winter Window?
Four is the ideal number of defenders that a team in the Premier League should have, and although having more doesn’t do the club any harm, it does have an impact on the players’ playing time. With Rudiger aspiring to keep his place in the national side for the upcoming EURO 2021, first-team football will be right up his list of requirements. If Chelsea are unable to offer him that, then Rudiger is likely to push for a move away. When the player has seemingly decided that his time as a Chelsea player is over, Lampard wouldn’t be left with another option but to sell him in January.
