Antonio Rudiger has told Thomas Tuchel he is committed to Chelsea despite having one year left on his deal and no sign of contract negotiations, report Sky Sports.

The 28-year-old defender signed for the Blues in 2017 from AS Roma in a deal worth £31.5 million and is one of many players at Stamford Bridge whose contract expires next summer.

Rudiger was at the heart of Chelsea’s resurgence under Tuchel who replaced Frank Lampard in January 2021. He became a cornerstone in his new manager’s reconstructed defence leading the Blues to UEFA Champions League glory. 

The German centre-back’s performances have followed in the same vein under Joachim Low in Euro 2020.

However, despite a significant spike in form for club and country, Chelsea’s merciless defender is yet to have been contacted regarding a new contract.

As it stands, he will be a free agent come to the end of the season and will be able to engage in pre-contractual negotiations with clubs outside of England in January. 

Rudiger is keen to renew his contract at Chelsea but he is also willing to run down his contract until the end of the season in a bid to find a move elsewhere, report Sky Sports.

After a turbulent start to last season under Lampard, Rudiger and the Blues’ all-time top goal scorer fell out which saw the German on the sidelines. 

At this time Rudiger was seeking a loan move away in search of game time ahead of Euro 2020 which would have seen him sign a new contract in the meantime, following standard club procedure.

A contract saga on the horizon

Like most summers, Chelsea is linked with various world-class players for mouth-watering fees. But, this summer, deciding whether to tie players down with new contracts or not will be pivotal to Tuchel’s project.

As it stands, from the first-team, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Michy Batshuayi, Emerson, Olivier Giroud, Charly Musonda and Jake Clarke-Salter have contracts with the club expiring in 2022.

With many of which first-eleven contenders, Marina Granoskaia will have a busy summer managing these deals to prevent tension from building throughout the ranks.

New deals

The following players are likely to sign new contracts with the club this summer and remain at the club.

Andreas Christensen 

Christensen became a staple in the Chelsea defence in the latter stages of the season, stepping up when called upon and seamlessly slotting in for Silva. 

With Fikayo Tomori now out of Tuchel’s equation, next season the Blues now have four natural centre-halves, in addition to the likes of the returning Ethan Ampadu, Azpilicueta and Reece James who can all play in a back three.

The Danish defender has had a stellar Euro 2020 campaign thus far leading Denmark into the knockout stages. 

He also scored a goal of the tournament contender that metaphorically bookmarked a turning point in his career as a player and as a person as he continues to reach new heights. 

Cesar Azpilicueta

Azpilicueta is likely to sign a new contract with Chelsea after reports surfaced in April that the club was preparing an offer, reported by the MailOnline.

The 31-year-old defender is currently away with Spain at Euro 2020 so a deal could come to fruition by the end of July.

Thiago Silva

Following Chelsea’s triumph in Porto, the club exercised the option for a further year in his contract extending his stay until 2022. 

By the end of his current contract, Silva will be 37-years-old. However, the Brazilian demonstrated this season that his age does not pose a threat to his performances.

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Silva has openly expressed his desire to play for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, therefore, extending the veteran’s stay a further year would only be beneficial to all parties involved.

New deals with the purpose of a loan

Charly Musonda

Musonda is currently recovering from knee surgery which took place in 2019, however, the Belgian winger is still only 24-years-old and may be seen as a valuable asset to the club.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Charly Musonda Junior (@musonda) 

He joined Chelsea in 2012 at the age of just 16 and has had loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem, Celtic and Real Betis.

Just like how the Blues once managed the injury-ridden Marco Van Ginkel, the club may do the same with Musonda until he finds his feet again.

Jake Clarke-Salter

Clarke-Salter has had loan spells in the past with Sunderland, Bristol Rovers, Vitesse Arnhem and Birmingham City. 

The former England Under-21 international will likely sign a new contract ahead of next summer before finding a new suitor to take him on loan.

No new deal

Olivier Giroud

Much like Thiago Silva, the club exercised an option for a further year in Giroud’s contract this summer.

However, it is unlikely the Frenchman will extend his stay beyond next summer after playing time concerns earlier in the season.

Emerson

Emerson has been at the centre of an ongoing transfer saga regarding Chelsea’s interest in Inter Milan’s Achraf Hakimi. 

The Blues have been battling with Paris Saint Germain for the Moroccan’s signature and have reportedly used Emerson in a player plus cash deal, report Sky Sports Italia.

Should Emerson sign a new contract, Marcos Alonso will likely leave or be sent on loan with Inter Milan interested.