Thomas Tuchel has never shied away from answering difficult questions throughout his Chelsea tenure. So when asked to confirm whether Antonio Rudiger had opted to depart Stamford Bridge when his contract ends in the summer, the Blues head coach did just that.
"The situation is that he wants to leave the club. He informed me of this in a private talk," Tuchel told Sky Sports rather matter-of-factly after his side's 1-0 win over West Ham United. "We gave everything – me and the club – but we could not fight anymore because of the actions. Without the sanctions, we would at least be able to carry on fighting, but our hands are tied. We don't take it personally. It is his decision.
"He is a key figure and will stay that way until the end of the season, but it is disappointing. We will miss him a lot. He gives courage in the dressing room. He is the kind [of player] everyone is afraid of, but the kind to play 50-55 games at an outstanding level. He is a top defender in the last one-and-a-half years for me. We then need to find another solution."
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Rudiger's departure is a blow for Chelsea – and for him to leave for nothing makes it just that little bit more painful. Real Madrid is expected to be the German's next destination; a lucrative approach from the La Liga behemoths an indication of just how sharply the 29-year-old's stock has risen over the past 18 months.
Chelsea were prepared to pay Rudiger big money to stay. football.london understands an offer to make the German international the best-paid defender in the club's history was tabled prior to owner Roman Abramovich being sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Had that offer worth in excess of £200,000 a week been accepted and signed, Rudiger would've spent his peak years at Stamford Bridge. Instead, he will depart and head to Spain. And he isn't expected to be the last Chelsea centre-back to make that journey in the summer.
Andreas Christensen is in the same position as Rudiger – he too is set to leave when his contract expires in the summer. Barcelona are reported to have agreed a pre-contract with the Dane, who will depart Chelsea ten years after joining the club as a 15-year-old from Brondby.
To lose one centre-back on a free transfer is careless. To lose two in the same summer is foolishness. Throw in the decisions to sell academy graduates and talented defenders Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi less than 12 months ago, and there will be very stern questions that need to be asked by whoever takes over the day-to-day running of the club once the takeover from Abramovich is completed.
The Russian's billions ensured such transfer market mistakes weren't hugely damaging to Chelsea. They were able to spend on solutions safe in the knowledge that Abramovich would cover the costs if required. That is unlikely to be the case under the next ownership group – and nor should it be.
Chelsea will have to be run smarter and operate more intelligently. And that will have to begin from the moment the takeover is confirmed with three high-profile members of Tuchel's squad out of contract in the summer of 2023. A repeat of the indecision and ultimately false hope that has led to Christensen and Rudiger's departures can't be repeated.
Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho will be out of contract at the end of next season. All three players are in their thirties and earn significant salaries. So a decision has to be taken this summer as to what comes next for the trio: either they are offered new deals or are sold.
"It's a wish as a coach that we solve this in the summer in any way, that we solve it, and it's clear where the journey is and what the decision is. Yes, this is the wish," Tuchel explained earlier this month when asked specifically about the futures of both Kante and Jorginho.
"[If not], we have the same talks that we have had about Toni and Andreas. You just swap the names. We would talk about it through winter, and then comes January, and then agents are talking to this club and the brother another. It would be nice if we can avoid it, but at the moment, it's difficult [because of the sanctions]. But this should be the target for all of us."
Tuchel's stance is clear: another season dominated by headlines over the futures of key players is not wanted or needed. It will be on the next Chelsea owner to ensure that doesn't happen, even if it means making an unpopular decision or two along the way this summer.
