CHELSEA are set to splash out £20million to sign Roma defender Antonio Rudiger, according to several sources.
The 23-year-old only made his loan move from Stuttgart to Roma permanent earlier this week, but the Serie A outfit recognise his enormous potential and are ready to offload him for a huge profit.
Italian newspaper Repubblica claim the player’s agents have travelled to London for talks with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and director Marina Granovskaia, with Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli adding that the Premier League outfit will offer Rudiger a five-year contract.
The centre-back, who is in Germany’s squad for the upcoming European Championship, is seen as the ideal man to replace long-standing Chelsea skipper John Terry at the heart of the Blues’ defence.
However, Rudiger is not the only man on new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte’s wanted list.
John Stones, Kostas Manolas, Leonardo Bonucci, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marquinhos have all been mentioned recently but Rudiger looks to be the cheapest option – and is probably the easiest to attain.
While Rudiger enjoyed an impressive first year in Serie A and claims to be happy in the Italian capital, he refused to rule out the possibility of a switch to Stamford Bridge, saying in the Daily Star.
“”My future? I am currently a Roma player, I’m happy at this club but you never know what can happen in football.
“Chelsea? This is talk I’ve felt for three years. I repeat, in Rome I am happy.”
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