Transfer News: Liverpool monitoring Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger

Liverpool are keeping tabs on Chelsea ace Antonio Rudiger who will be out of contract at the end of the season and is a target for Manchester City and Tottenham.

According to a report from Eurosport, Liverpool are monitoring the contract situation of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, who will be a free agent next summer and is being pursued by Manchester City and Tottenham.

Rudiger has been with Chelsea since 2017 when he arrived from AS Roma. While he had been a regular in the starting XI in the early years of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, the German international had fallen out of favour under previous manager Frank Lampard and was struggling for game-time.

Things changed for Rudiger upon the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, who reintegrated the defender back into the starting XI. And, the 28-year-old has not looked back since, going on to play a key role in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup triumphs earlier this year while he has essayed a starring role in the Blues’ ascent to the top of the Premier League standings as well.

Despite his importance in this Chelsea side, Rudiger’s future at Stamford Bridge has become a major topic of speculation as he is in the final year of his contract and has failed to agree a new deal with the club. This has resulted in widespread interest in the 28-year-old from top teams across Europe.

Recent reports have indicated that Rudiger’s representatives are already in talks with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. As per the report mentioned above, the Premier League duo has been joined by Liverpool, who are being kept abreast of any developments regarding the German’s situation.

Liverpool strengthened their backline earlier this summer with the signing of Ibrahima Konate. The Reds also have Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Nathaniel Phillips as options, while Rhys Williams and Ben Davies, who are currently out on loan, will also rejoin the roster next year.

However, it must be noted that Matip continues to be blighted by injury issues while there are no certainties that the on-loan duo would return and carve out a place for themselves in Jurgen Klopp’s plans for next season. With van Dijk set to turn 31 by the time the 2022/23 campaign starts, bringing in fresh faces in defence would work well for Liverpool with an eye on the future.

Rudiger would not exactly be a signing for the long-term. But, considering his know-how and form, he can be an ideal replacement for the injury-prone Matip. This would allow younger players like Konate and Phillips to gain more experience before eventually taking over as the first-choice defenders.

The fact that he would be arriving free of cost is also likely to appeal to the Merseysiders, although his wage demands could pose an issue. It remains to be seen if there is any genuine interest from Liverpool in signing Rudiger. For now, they are keeping tabs on the German’s situation.