There are just two months left of Chelsea's season and Antonio Rudiger remains set to see out his contract at the end of the season. The German international entered 2021/22 as one four Blues players whose deals were set to expire in June, alongside Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen.
Thus far, only Thiago Silva has put in place an extension, in what has been a masterstroke given what has happened since. As a result of the special licence that Chelsea must operate under to continue their season following the sanctions placed upon Roman Abramovich, the club cannot offer any new contract or complete transfer among a range of other restrictions.
That of course exacerbates the prospect of losing Rudiger. While the parties had not been on the cusp of a deal, it's impossible to ignore the advantage interested parties may have gained in that moment. Despite a year of speculation, Rudiger has maintained plenty of professionalism at the club and retained the trust of Thomas Tuchel, playing more matches than anyone else in the squad. The 29-year-old has even spoken about his happiness in London.
