Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the loan signing of Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea, with Tuttomercatoweb reporting Kim Min-jae has been identified as back-up if a deal for the German international collapses.
Considering Frank Lampard was knocked out of the Carabao Cup by his white-haired mentor on Tuesday night, Chelsea fans may be baffled by reports suggesting the Blues are about to strengthen a direct Premier League rival – without earning a penny in transfer fees.
Rudiger has fallen behind Andreas Christiansen, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma and perhaps Fikayo Tomori in Lampard’s central-defensive pecking order.
After the £29 million man was left out of Chelsea’s squad for the EFL Cup clash with Spurs yesterday, there’s a growing chance Rudiger will make the 20-mile journey to north London.
TMW reports talks between the clubs have progressed this morning.
The former Roma and Stuttgart defender is expected to arrive on loan. However, should Chelsea have a change of heart, Tottenham will turn to Heung-Min Son’s South Korea teammate – £10 million-rated Beijing Guoan powerhouse Kim Min-jae.
The interest comes after Goal reported Rudiger, who was also a target for Paris-Saint Germain and Barcelona, didn’t want to uproot his young family from their London home.
A powerhouse of a footballer and an affable, influential figure off the pitch, the 27-year-old shares similarities with Tottenham’s long-serving Belgian Toby Alderweireld.
Like the former Atletico Madrid man, Rudiger is blessed with a superb passing range that would help Mourinho’s often one-dimensional Spurs side build from the back.
Tottenham Hotspur’s record signings
- Tanguy Ndombele
£56 million
- Davinson Sanchez
£42 million
- Moussa Sissoko
£30 million
- Erik Lamela
£29 million
- Steven Bergwijn
£25 million
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
