Chelsea plan to begin contract negotiations with Antonio Rudiger to kill off any potential interest from Tottenham Hotspur, according to the Daily Mail.
The centre-back will enter the final two years of his contract this summer and the Daily Mail understands Chelsea want to keep him despite an injury-hit season which has limited him to only 45 minutes of first-team action.
Rudiger started 33 of Chelsea’s Premier League games last campaign and may be the ideal long-term partner for England prospect Fikayo Tomori.
Spurs have their own contract concerns in defence with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen free agents at the end of this season, so the Blues are reportedly wary of possibly opening the door for us, as well as Manchester City, whose lack of depth has been exposed by Aymeric Laporte’s injury.
The Daily Mail adds that Chelsea believe tying Rudiger to an extended deal would force any potential suitors to look elsewhere for defensive solutions.
Opinion: I highly doubt the German international would have been considered a realistic target by Spurs, but at least we are giving Chelsea something to worry about, because our performances on the pitch certainly aren’t.