Antonio Rudiger has detailed the talks that he held with Real Madrid ahead of his departure from Chelsea this summer. The 29-year-old swapped Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu following the expiration of his contract in west London, penning a four-year deal with Carlo Ancelotti's side.
The Germany international featured 202 times for the Blues during his five-year tenure at the club 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 huge signing-on fee for a new contract, along with agents' fees, effectively putting the deal out of reach for the west Londoners. While Chelsea were unable to discuss a new deal with the defender in the latter stages of the season due to the sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich by the UK Government and the subsequent special licence that the club had to operate under, the offer was tabled before the sanctions were introduced, meaning that there was an opportunity for Rudiger to accept a deal.
