Now former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has admitted that he's excited to play for Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti as his Blues departure has finally been confirmed.
Rudiger, 29, has finally completed his long-awaited move to the Santiago Bernabeu as the defensive overhaul officially begins with Todd Boehly now having the monumental task at hand of providing Thomas Tuchel with a suitable replacement for the German. A club statement on the website said: "We bid farewell to Antonio Rudiger as he departs Stamford Bridge with his Chelsea contract expiring, bringing to a close his five trophy-filled years with the club."
"Rudiger made 54 appearances in all competitions in his final campaign, all from the start, more than any other Chelsea player. He departs with 203 appearances and 12 goals to his name, in that time establishing himself as one of the most passionate characters to represent the club in recent memory. Chelsea Football Club thanks Toni for his contribution to our success over the last five years and wishes him well in his future career."
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Manager Tuchel was a massive fan of Rudiger, who he had resurrected from the dead in West London after Frank Lampard had fallen out with the charismatic character during his one and half seasons in charge prior to Tuchel's appointment at the Stamford Bridge.
Losing the Blues' number 2 will be a significant blow ahead of 2022/23 but Boehly can perhaps lessen this pain by providing a suitable type of replacement for the new Los Blancos player. Jules Kounde Is expected to be the first signing through the door in SW6 and this has even been hinted by what Sevilla have recently done.
Kounde and Rudiger are two very different players but if the La Liga star was to have the same work rate and passion as the 29-year-old had during his five-year stay in the English capital, then the Stamford Bridge faithful will have no problem in warming to the Les Bleus international.
The likes of Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen are expected to follow Rudiger out of the door meaning defensive recruits is the order of the day for Boehly and Clearlake in their first summer transfer window. Rudiger himself has already penned his emotional goodbye to the fans as all of his attention currently, alongside preparing for Germany's Nations League fixtures, looking ahead to his future with the Champions of Europe.
He tweeted his delight at completing this big-money move for himself: I'm proud to announce that I'll be joining Real Madrid. I'm super excited for all the challenges ahead and can't wait to play my first games for this huge club.'
Chelsea fans- How are you feeling with the Antonio Rudiger departure and is Jules Kounde the suitable replacement? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
