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Real Madrid have agreed a deal to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger when his contract expires at the end of the season, says Guillem Balague.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel\u00a0said\u00a0Rudiger had failed to agree a new deal with the European champions.<\/p>\n
Rudiger, who has also spoken to Bayern Munich, was offered a contract worth more than \u00a3200,000 to stay at Chelsea.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old is expected to sign a four-year-old deal at the Bernabeu with a medical set to take place in London.<\/p>\n
BBC Sport understands the signing-on and agent’s fees demanded by Rudiger’s camp proved too steep for Chelsea.<\/p>\n
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“Real Madrid had originally rejected the chance to sign Rudiger but the financial demands were reduced by the player,” said Balague, BBC Sport’s European football expert.<\/p>\n
Rudiger, who joined the Blues for an initial \u00a329m from Roma in 2017, has played almost 200 games, scoring 12 times.<\/p>\n
He has won the Champions League, Europa League, Club World Cup and the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n
“We gave everything and now we enter a situation where we can’t fight any more because of the sanctions and now Toni will leave,” Tuchel said, referring to the\u00a0restrictions placed on the club\u00a0while a new owner is sought.<\/p>\n
“Our hands are tied. I don’t know what would have been the outcome [without the sanctions]. That’s his decision. It’s not a nice one for us but we don’t take it personally.<\/p>\n
Chelsea are also set to lose Danish centre-back Andreas Christensen\u00a0this summer to Barcelona on a free transfer,\u00a0but captain Cesar Azpilicueta is expected to stay after a one-year extension was triggered in his contact earlier this season.<\/p>\n
‘Losing Rudiger doesn’t bode well for Chelsea’ “Chelsea have got big problems, there’s so much uncertainty which is going to continue until there is a new owner in place,” he said, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.<\/p>\n “They may lose other players, I cannot see Chelsea competing next season with the uncertainty which lies over them at this moment.<\/p>\n “[Andreas] Christensen is off, [Cesar] Azpilicueta – it’s going to be interesting to see what happens to him. And then you look at the young talented players they have let go. [Kurt] Zouma to West Ham, [Marc] Guehi to Crystal palace and [Fikayo] Tomori. Talented players who may have been able to step up.<\/p>\n “They are losing a top defender and that doesn’t bode well for them.”<\/p>\n Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said: “To replace Rudiger in this market you are looking at \u00a340m or \u00a350m.”<\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Featured Video<\/p>\n
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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said Rudiger would be a “big loss”<\/p>\n\n
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