Reports from Italian paper Il Tempo suggest that Roma is willing to activate Stuttgart’s Antonio Rudiger’s €9 million option to make the loan move permanent. Roma is expected to make this move so that they can sell Rudiger for a fee of around €30 million to Chelsea or another team.
According to La Repubblica, Chelsea has submitted a written bid for the centre-back and Conte is keen on landing him at Stamford Bridge, but have yet to reach the asking price.
The 23-year-old German defender, Rudiger, has enjoyed an amazing run of form this season. He has made 37 appearances for his club, with a passing accuracy of 85.6% (via whoscored). He is an attack-minded defender who loves to burst forward often.
The move will be favourable to Chelsea, as a majority of their defenders are past their best and are aged 30 or 30+. In such a situation, Conte will be interested in having a fresh, young and dynamic player in the squad.
Rudiger will fit the Chelsea line-up perfectly, as John Terry has lost his charm and his one-year contract extension is based solely on his commitment for the club and not his performance last season. Chelsea will be vulnerable at the back next season if they try to maintain the current defensive line-up.
However, there are few chances for the transfer to happen, as Rudiger claimed he is happier in Italy, but he also added the uncertainty of his future as the decision is in Roma’s hand.
