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Antonio Rudiger has officially joined Real Madrid from Chelsea on a free transfer and took to his social media accounts, including Instagram, to make the announcement. The German has agreed to a four-year deal with the La Liga giants.
The 29-year-old expressed his excitement to play for the recently-crowned UEFA Champions League winners. Along with the brief announcement post, Rudiger also updated his profile bios on Twitter and Instagram, adding Real Madrid to the same.
Rudiger wrote on Twitter and Instagram:
"I'm proud to announce that I'll be joining Real Madrid. I'm super excited for all the challenges ahead and can't wait to play my first games for this huge club."
The German defender had rejected Chelsea's offer to renew his contract with the club, with Thomas Tuchel confirming the same in April, as reported by Sky Sports.
The player, whose contract officially runs out on June 30, had long been linked with a move to Madrid. Sky Sports reported in May that personal terms had been agreed between the player and Los Blancos.
As per the same Sky Sports report, the defender will pocket £342,000 per week under the contract, which includes no options, as tweeted by Fabrizio Romano.
How Chelsea and Real Madrid reacted to Rudiger's Instagram post
Rudiger had been one of the standout performers for the Blues under Thomas Tuchel. He was a key player in Chelsea's Champions League-winning run in the 2020-21 campaign. He also helped the Blues win the FIFA Club World Cup Winners and the UEFA Super Cup in his final season at the club.
The London club posted a tweet, which linked to a statement in which they thanked Rudiger for his services. In a separate tweet, they once again expressed their gratitude to the player. The second tweet read:
"So many memories. Thank you for everything, @ToniRuediger."
Los Blancos also made an official announcement welcoming the player and confirmed that Rudiger will be unveiled as a Real Madrid player on June 20.
It was a shrewd piece of business for Madrid as Rudiger is only 29 years of age and still has a lot to offer. Alongside David Alaba and Éder Militão, the German can be part of one of the most fearsome backlines in the Spanish top-flight.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will have to head into the transfer market in search of a replacement. Thiago Silva will be 38 in September while Andreas Christensen has also been linked with a move away from the club.
As per AS, a deal for Jules Kounde is in the works and his signing might be announced in the coming days, for roughly £50 million.
