Antonio Conte is to meet with Antonio Rudiger in a last-ditch bid to convince the Chelsea defender to accept a free transfer to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Sport.
The German will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season once his contract expires, with fresh terms unlikely. The Blues are currently unable to offer Rudiger a new deal after sanctions were imposed on Roman Abramovich, while a takeover is still yet to be finalised.
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Rudiger is now preparing to hear offers from possible suitors over a move away from west London after their Champions League exit. Real Madrid won 5-4 on aggregate after rallying to force their quarter-final second-leg into extra-time after letting slip a 3-1 first-leg lead.
Rudiger wanted to wait for Chelsea’s European tour to conclude before defining any plans for next season. Barcelona have explored his situation during talks with the 29-year-old’s agent in recent days. But the Camp Nou natives cannot meet his high economic demands.
Therefore, the centre-back’s future is likely to either still be in England or France with Paris Saint-Germain keen. Manchester United have already made Rudiger an important offer to move to Old Trafford. PSG sense his arrival in a Bosman deal is a good market opportunity.
But Conte wishes to scupper Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United’s attempts, with the Tottenham boss to meet with Rudiger and discuss a transfer for the Chelsea defender. He played 45 times under the Italian during his tenure at Stamford Bridge back in 2017/18.
Antonio Conte to make last-ditch Tottenham transfer pitch to Chelsea ace Rudiger
Rudiger joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017 from Roma for £29m under Conte and soon built a consistent role under the now-Tottenham coach. The Blues also won the FA Cup in their sole season together at Stamford Bridge – beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final.
Conte is now seeking a reunion at Tottenham, but any free transfer for Rudiger will still be an expensive operation. Duncan Castles has claimed the Blues enforcer demands a €30m (£25m) signing bonus, as well as a basic wage of €6m-a-year (£95.5k-a/w) before bonuses.
The level of rival interest and an offer from Manchester United could see Spurs struggle to reduce his demands. Rio Ferdinand has also hailed Rudiger as a ‘tremendous’ defender for what the 50-cap Die Mannschaft star has achieved under Thomas Tuchel in west London.
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