Antonio Rudiger has emerged as a potential target for Juventus & AC Milan, with Chelsea open to loaning him out in January.
According to Calciomercato, Antonio Rudiger could be provided with a lifeline by Serie A clubs in January, with AC Milan and Juventus seemingly keen on his services. The Chelsea defender has had a difficult time at Stamford Bridge this season so these two clubs are willing to hand him a path back to Italy.
The Blues are also open to offloading Rudiger in the January transfer window. And a loan move with an option to buy clause in the summer could be a possibility, although the Premier League giants will be holding out for a fee departing fee of at least €18 million.
Rudiger’s move to either AC Milan or Juventus could be a beneficial one for the player, who enjoyed a lot of success during his spell at AS Roma. It was his performances with the Giallorossi that earned him a €35 million move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2017.
Unfortunately, the German international never really managed to live up to his hefty price-tag. And in recent times, he has fallen behind the likes of Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kurt Zouma in the pecking order, having notably mustered only 90 minutes of Premier League football in the ongoing campaign.
A move away from London, therefore, bodes well for the defender, who could be an ideal alternative for the injured Simon Kjaer. He has the experience, as well as the commitment to establish a formidable partnership alongside Alessio Romagnoli or to at least provide some competition for young Matteo Gabbia.
Juventus, on the other hand, are understandably looking for younger alternatives to the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, who has struggled with injuries this season. They do have Merih Demiral but the Turkish international hasn’t been overly impressive, in regards to his performances so coach Andrea Pirlo could certainly welcome the arrival of Rudiger.
As for Chelsea, the departure of the ex-Stuttgart centre-back, who was linked with a shock move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, could bode well his lack of importance in the first-team. It should create the space in the team and thereby allow Frank Lampard to invest in a new central defender who can provide long-term cover for the ageing Silva and Azpilicueta.
The Blues have most recently been linked with a move for Sebastian Walukiewicz, although they could face stiff competition from league rivals Liverpool and Manchester United in the pursuit of the Cagliari defender.
