Abramovich reluctant to meet star Chelsea defender’s contract demands despite Tuchel wish

Abramovich opposed to the contract demands made by Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger

According to Goal (h/t Express), Roman Abramovich doesn’t want to give in to the contract demands made by star player Antonio Rudiger despite Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s desire to keep hold of the player.

Antonio Rudiger has time and again made a massive difference for the Chelsea team with his defensive solidarity. His Champions League final heroics to deny Phill Phoden from a point-blank range helped the West London team win the coveted trophy against Manchester City.

This season, the German defender has again made a strong start of the season. Furthermore, he bagged a goal in the last Premier League clash against Leicester on Saturday. 

However, the defender hasn’t signed a new contract with the West London club, making him eligible to talk with foreign clubs in the following January. Such a situation regarding one of the most important players of the squad could be concerning for Thomas Tuchel. 

The German manager lauded his countrymen’s performance against Leicester and said that he currently hopes for a good result at the end of the negotiation round. 

“Let’s be a bit patient, and hopefully, we have a happy end.”

But his desire for a ‘happy ending’ could take a hit from Roman Abramovich’s intentions. The Russian-Israeli billionaire is believed to be ‘reluctant’ in agreeing to all the contract demands made by Rudiger’s representatives. 

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In such a case, the defender’s future in the Blues jersey remains up in the air. Without the German player in the backline, Chelse’s defence could suffer in big matches. It won’t be beneficial to give the player to an opponent team as he would eventually make them stronger.