Contract rumours and Chelsea go hand in hand at the minute and the updates that come from the various ongoing sagas do not normally thrill me, but I’ll make an exception on this occasion. It would seem that the Antonio Rudiger saga is coming to a swift end. It has taken seven months of fierce negotiations but Marina Granovskaia's resolve appears to have softened and a number is on the table.
The question is, does Rudiger deserve a new contract? Does he warrant the money that he is asking for? As a fan, I think I speak for Chelsea followers worldwide that he deserves it as much as anyone else in the Blues' ranks.
A reported sum of £225,000 per week is in the offing for Rudiger and it’s now take-it-or-leave-it territory. It’s time to shut down the persistent and unhelpful transfer rumours and ensure that our German shield will lead the Chelsea defence once again next season.
I know I sound bullish on the chances of him staying put here but the club are all too aware of the need for some positive contract news. With Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen flirting with the idea of a Barcelona move, I can only hope that Bayern Munich and Real Madrid's hopes of signing Rudiger become a distant memory.
It has been reported that Granovskaia is willing to meet Rudiger’s lofty wage demands and while this is a decision that would have an impact on the club's pay scale, it's one that needs to be taken considering his importance to Thomas Tuchel’s backline.
The German international has had his blunders in previous years. His time under Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard left fans impatient but Tuchel saw something that others did not. Rudiger has barely put a foot wrong since Tuchel's arrival. Some say that the back three helps to compensate for his defensive limitations but, in recent weeks, Chelsea have reverted into a back four - and he has continued to excel.
Maybe he is just a Tuchel player. Maybe he is the only manager that can unlock this incredible new level to Rudiger's game. If this is the case, then this potentially suggests even better news. Chelsea have a clear belief in Tuchel and seem as if they are ready to back him.
Granovskaia might have been more ready to cut ties with Rudiger given his determination to back Chelsea into a corner over a big new deal. But while Tuchel showed his hand and consistently consigned Christensen to the bench to try and force his hand in contract negotiations, he continued to play Rudiger on a weekly basis, making him the most-played Chelsea player this season. He has made it abundantly clear just how important the German international is to his squad.
Now that a deal could be closer to full agreement, it shows a first significant sign of progress that the board is ready to trust the manager as much as the fans are.
That is a step in the right direction. That is what Chelsea fans want to see. Let’s see how serious they are about backing the manager once the summer transfer window arrives.
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