Juventus chief Pavel Nedved has described Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger as "great", but has played down talk linking the German with a move to the Italian club at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old centre-back has been in imperious form for the Blues this season, but looks set to leave the club in the summer with his contract now in its final few months. Thomas Tuchel, when speaking recently about Rudiger's situation at the club, conceded that it could end with him or Andreas Christensen, whose deal also expires at the end of the season, leaving.
Tuchel said: "In the end, there’s a club policy that we all need to follow and that also as a manager I can absolutely understand. There are always two, three, four sides to these kind of situations. It is not only about player and club, it’s the coach, sporting situations, agents, families, there are lot of things involved.
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"There are a lot of opinions and maybe at some point, it will end that a player leaves, and it will not be the first or last player to leave the club. We should not take it personally, we should accept that we fought hard, and take it and look for the next solution. It is not easy, of course."
Juventus are one of the clubs that continue to be linked with Rudiger, with the Italian club reportedly keeping a close eye on the defender's situation at Stamford Bridge. However, Nedved, who is the vice-chairman of the Old Lady, has played down the speculation.
He told Infinity (via Calcio Mercato): "I've heard them [the rumours]. He is a great player, but he is under contract with Chelsea."
Rudiger himself was asked about his future in the aftermath of Chelsea's 2-1 win against Lille in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday evening. The Germany international replied: "At the moment, I am here. I am happy here. We'll see, we'll see."
The defender has previous in Italy, with the German playing 72 times during his two-year spell with AS Roma. Since moving to England to play for Chelsea, Rudiger has featured 125 times in the Premier League, winning five major honours during his almost five-year tenure at Stamford Bridge.
