The Germany star has reportedly reached an agreement with the La Liga club over what is understood to be an initial four year contract at the Bernebeu.
In news that has upset Chelsea fans, Antonio Rudiger is reportedly expected to sign for La Liga giants Real Madrid after informing the Blues that he will not be signing a new contract. The German defender has reportedly reached an agreement with Los Blancos over what is understood to be a four-year contract at the Bernebeu initially.
According to a Daily Mail report, the total package will be more than the 230,000 pounds-per-week deal that Chelsea offered Rudiger to stay at Stamford Bridge.
The 29-year-old has been a crucial cog in the wheel of the west London club since he arrived from Roma in July 2017 for 29 million pounds. Rudiger, who has won five trophies in Chelsea, has racked up 196 appearances for the club in all competitions. However, although the Blues tried hard to secure the defender a new deal, negotiations came to a standstill owing to the uncertainty surrounding the club's ownership.
Roman Abramovich put Chelsea for sale after the Russian oligarch was hit with sanctions amid Moscow's military invasion of Ukraine, and the UK government are working alongside Blues officials to find a buyer. But Rudiger was not willing to wait to decide his future.
Manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed this news following Chelsea's 1-0 win against West Ham on Sunday, telling reporters, "The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this in a private talk. We gave everything - the club and me - but we could not fight anymore because of the actions. Without the sanctions, we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but our hands are tied. We don't take it personally. It is his decision."
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Former Chelsea legend John Terry led reactions of the Blues on social media after he questioned the club's decision to let go of one of the critical members of Tuchel's team. Terry expressed his feelings in response to a Sky Sports post on Instagram. "How have we let this man go," Terry replied in the comments section.
Here's a look at what some of the other Chelsea fans had to say about Rudiger's move to Real Madrid on the micro-blogging site Twitter:
Real Madrid, who courted Rudiger since his days with Stuttgart, has been keen to sign the centre-back for some time now. The La Liga giants made their first official offer to the Chelsea star in January and have viewed him as a priority signing.
All the necessary paperwork for the move still needs to be completed, but it now looks clear that Rudiger will become a Real Madrid player next season.
