Sebastian Jacob
Why Chelsea should hand Antonio Rudiger a new contract
According to the Metro, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has revealed that he hasn’t spoken to the club about a new contract in the summer. The German centre-back made a £29m move from Roma last season and has been a regular under new manager Maurizio Sarri this season.
He has since gone on to make more than 60 appearances for the club in all competitions and has been a vital cog at the back. The Blues have done well under the Italian this season and have very much gone under the radar.
Although they are 4th on the table, the club are in a strong position to stay in the top four and qualify for Champions League football at the end of the season. The players have bought into Sarri’s philosophy and the club are now playing an expansive style of football.
Rudiger has certainly played a crucial role in their return to form this season. The German has been supremely consistent and has barely put a foot wrong at the back. While his teammate David Luiz has come into criticism in recent weeks, Rudiger has certainly hit new heights this season.
Chelsea should consider handing him a new contract at the end of the season. At the age of 25, he already looks like the complete package. Rudiger is tall, strong and agile in his defending, while he also shows great composure on the ball.
He is barely fazed under pressure and has always played the ball out of tight situations. The German has averaged a pass success rate of 91% in the Premier League this season. He has also averaged 88.7% pass success in the Champions League. (Stats courtesy – Whoscored)
Rudiger is proving to be a true embodiment of the ‘Sarri ball’. The German is defensively very astute too. In his 17 appearances, not only has he made 111 recoveries but the 25-year-old has also managed 2.9 successful aerial duels per game. (Stats courtesy – Premier League)
His aerial dominance has allowed him to look dangerous at the other end of the pitch as well. Rudiger has already got 1 goal to his name this season and surely, there’s more to come given his potential.
Chelsea should definitely hand their defender a new contract as soon as possible. Sturdy, disciplined and stoic defenders like Rudiger are a gem in the world of football these days and the London club must do everything in their power to tie him down for the foreseeable future.
