Real Madrid confirm Rudiger deal as defender joins Champions League winners

Thomas
Tuchel
confirmed
after
Chelsea’s
win
over
West
Ham
in
April
that
Rudiger
would
be
on
the
move
when
his
contract
expired
at
the
end
of
the
season
after
rejecting
a
new
deal.

Chelsea
were
unable
at
the
time
to
increase
an
offer
they
made
to
Rudiger
due
to
the
sanctions
imposed
on
the
club’s
owner
Roman
Abramovich
by
the
United
Kingdom
government
in
the
wake
of
Russia’s
invasion
of
Ukraine.

Madrid
emerged
as
favourites
to
sign
the
in-demand
Germany
centre-back,
who
was
also
linked
with
the
likes
of
Barcelona,
Juventus
and
Paris
Saint-Germain.

Los
Blancos
on
Thursday
confirmed
the
29-year-old
defender
has
agreed
terms
on
a
four-year
contract.

“On
Monday,
June
20,
at
12:00
at
Real
Madrid
City,
the
presentation
ceremony
for
Antonio
Rudiger
as
a
new
Real
Madrid
player
will
take
place,”
Madrid
added
on
their
official
website.

Rudiger
joined
Chelsea
from
Roma
in
July
2017
and
established
himself
as
a
key
man
at
the
heart
of
the
London
club’s
defence.

He
played
a
big
part
in
their
Champions
League
triumph
in
the
2020-21
season
before
lifting
the
FIFA
Club
World
Cup
and
the
UEFA
Super
Cup
last
year.

Rudiger
was
also
an
FA
Cup
winner
in
2018
and
Chelsea
were
crowned
Europa
League
winners
during
his
time
at
the
club
three
years
ago.

He
joins
a
Madrid
team
who
won
LaLiga
and
Champions
League
titles
in
the
season
just
ended.