Antonio Rudiger has agreed a deal to join Real Madrid this summer, according to reports.
The former Roma stopper is set to become a free agent at the end of June and can therefore leave Chelsea for free.
And now, according to The Athletic, Rudiger has, on Tuesday, signed for Real Madrid on a four-year deal that will see him net between €9-10m a season:
Rudiger is also believed to have netted a 35 million euro signing on fee:
Rudiger’s Chelsea stint
Rudiger has been on Chelsea’s books since July of 2017. All told, Rudiger has featured 199 times in all competitions for Chelsea, across which he has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists.
But Rudiger’s standing at Chelsea have varied a fair bit, especially over the course of the 2020/21 campaign.
Throughout much of Frank Lampard’s time at the club, Rudiger proved something of a fringe player.
During the first half of last campaign, for example, the stopper was afforded just two Premier League appearances.
However, Frank Lampard was then sacked, before Thomas Tuchel took the reins at the back end of January last year.
And since the latter’s appointment as Chelsea boss, Rudiger has seen his game-time dramatically increase, becoming a key cog in the side that won the Champions League last term.
Now though, Chelsea are to be faced with the unenviable task of finding a replacement for the defender.