Reports from the German media on Wednesday evening claimed that Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has become a target for Barcelona.
Outlet Kicker brought a quite long story explaining that the player became Lampard’s third or fourth choice for his position, and that put him on the ‘top of the wish list’ for the Camp Nou side.
It didn’t take very long for the Catalan media to respond to those claims, and the briefing from Barcelona wasn’t very positive.
Despite admitting that Barça are chasing a defender, Mundo Deportivo now writes that the club ‘completely dismissed’ the rumours which say Rudiger is ‘an option’ for them.
There’s not a lot else for Mundo Deportivo to say. They highlight the fact that Rudiger is still to feature for Chelsea in the first games of the season, and add that Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has been ‘following the competition’.
The 27-year-old has a contract with Chelsea lasting until June 2022. Whilst Transfermarkt values him at £36m, the Blues may have difficulty getting such a fee this summer.
