Antonio Rüdiger is heading towards the end of his contract at Chelsea and it is still not clear where he will play next season.
The Blues have not yet managed to convince their star to sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge. If there is no change in the situation, he will leave the European champions as a free agent in the summer.
Rüdiger impressed for the west London club in their latest success in Abu Dhabi, winning the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Palmeiras in the final last weekend.
The Germany international granted an interview to Sport1, where his future with Thomas Tuchel’s side was discussed.
“The support from the fans is great, of course, and I can’t say thank you enough for it,” he said, when told the Chelsea supporters are hoping for him to continue at the club.
The centre-back then stressed the renewal talks are ongoing between his entourage and Chelsea, but refused to shed more details on the negotiations.
“I recently emphasised that talks are taking place between my side and the club and that’s all I can say about it at the moment,” Rüdiger explained.
“I can also assure you that, despite the major media issue, I will never allow myself to be distracted by current sporting events. I think you’ve seen that in the last few months.”
Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard a Chelsea boss last January and since then, he has guided them to Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup successes. Rüdiger detailed his compatriot’s impact since he arrived in London.
“He’s an absolute football expert who knows exactly what he expects from us on the pitch, and I think you can tell by looking at us. With his style, he takes the whole team with him and doesn’t forget anyone,” the defender added.
“You just have to look at the performance of our actual second goalkeeper, Kepa, in the semifinals, for example.”
“Kepa has been written off by many but has done an outstanding job replacing Edouard (Mendy) in recent weeks. Also, because as a team we all believed in him.”
