Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is demanding as much as €12m a year from any club interested in his services.
That’s according to journalist Antón Meana, who has revealed that was the reply a Spanish club recently received when they made enquiries.
Rudiger is out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the season and has been in negotiations with them over an extension for the last few months.
The two parties are yet to reach an agreement, though, and so that has led to increasing speculation about his future.
The big impasse is believed to be Rudiger’s wage demands, with the defender asking for a figure that Chelsea have been reluctant to give him thus far.
While it’s regularly been stated that he wants considerably more than he is currently earning, it’s never been explicitly stated what the figure is, but Meana has now changed that.
“Rüdiger’s entourage is asking for €12m clean,” he told Cadena SER.
“A few days ago, there was a call from a La Liga club, and that was the answer.
“On top of that price, there would be the signing bonus. The salary they are looking for is that amount.”
For those that don’t want to do the maths, €12m a year comes out perfectly at €250k a week, which is no mean figure, particularly for a centre back.
If that is the right amount, it’s easy to see why Chelsea are a little reluctant to do business, even if Rudiger has established himself as a key player under Thomas Tuchel.
At the same time, it’s hard to see other clubs being willing to pay such a figure, and it may need to drop considerably before there’s any clear indication of where the German’s future lies.
