An intermediary agent in the deal which saw Antonio Rudiger join Real Madrid from Chelsea this summer has claimed the club's previous ownership is to blame for Thomas Tuchel's backline troubles. The 29-year-old saw his deal at Stamford Bridge expire this summer and, despite months of negotiations over a new one, he penned a four-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu via a free transfer.
The defender featured 202 times for the Blues during his five-year tenure and, despite a shaky start, he quickly grew into a pillar of Chelsea's success. football.london understand that Rudiger passed on a new deal which would have made him the highest-paid defender in the club's history.
He was reportedly demanding a large signing-on fee for a new contract, along with agents' fees, effectively putting the deal out of reach for the west Londoners. But, Saif Rubie - the aforementioned intermediary agent - has said otherwise and claims to know what happened, contrary to reports.
