Chelsea stalwart’s future could lie elsewhere from Stamford Bridge

Antonio Rudiger could be on his way out of Chelsea this summer

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge.

The German international has less than two years left on his current deal and is yet to be offered a new contract. With Frank Lampard looking for defensive reinforcements, Rudiger’s position has been called into question. (h/t Daily Mail)

The 27-year-old joined the club from Roma in 2017. He has been a constant fixture under two former managers Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri. Lampard too has continued to persist with him since taking over last summer.

A tough tackler and a commanding presence in the air, Rudiger has racked up 111 appearances for the club.

Chelsea’s defensive problems this season are well-known. No other team in the top half of the Premier League table has conceded more than the Blues this season (49).

Of our 36 league games played so far, Rudiger has featured in 18 of them in which we conceded 23 goals. It can be argued that we have conceded more in his absence, 26 goals in 18 games.

However, the fact that we still average more than a goal conceded per game does not inspire confidence. Rudiger returned to the lineup for the 1-0 win against Norwich City. It was coincidentally our first Premier League clean sheet since the restart.

By adding Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, Chelsea has reinforced the attack. The defence cannot be neglected given the intense competition the Premier League offers.

The value of a single player who can revitalize a backline – a la Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool, cannot be underestimated in today’s market. Unless we have a balanced team on the pitch, our chances of usurping Liverpool and Manchester City could go unfulfilled.

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A strong offence with a weak defence makes for high octane games but can ultimately be nerve-wracking. Manchester City has an excellent attack but the loss of Vincent Kompany and an injury to Aymeric Laporte saw them fall miles behind Liverpool who have a stable back four.

It is time that we took the lessons of our rivals and ensure we learn from it even if they don’t. Losing Rudiger will not be monumental as long as we bring in someone better.