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Chelsea continued their quest for the Premier League title by securing a hard-fought win over Brentford on Saturday. The victory helped the Blues stay at the top of the table, a point ahead of second-placed Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger has informed Chelsea he wants to leave the club next year. Elsewhere, Thomas Tuchel has praised a Senegalese goalkeeper who was outstanding for the Blues on Saturday.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 17th October 2021.
Antonio Rudiger informs Chelsea he wants to leave
Antonio Rudiger has informed Chelsea he wants to leave the club next year, according to Caught Offside via Todo Fichajes. The German defender is in the final year of his current contract. The Blues remain eager to tie him down to a new deal. However, negotiations have hit a standstil,l and it now appears that the player cannot be convinced to put pen to paper on a new contract.
Rudiger has turned over a new leaf since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea. The German defender became an influential figure under his compatriot, and has been indispensable for the Blues since then. Tuchel thinks highly of Rudiger, and wants the latter to be the mainstay of his backline. However, the former AS Roma star has informed the club he wants to leave.
The development will come as a huge blow for Tuchel, especially as Rudiger was pivotal to Chelsea's UEFA Champions League triumph last season. The Blues will also have to spend a fortune to replace the German, which could affect their spending next year. Rudiger prefers a move to Real Madrid, who will be over the moon at the opportunity to sign him for free next summer.
Thomas Tuchel heaps praise on Edouard Mendy
Thomas Tuchel has hailed Edouard Mendy for his performance against Brentford. The Chelsea goalkeeper ensured the Blues secured a narrow 1-0 win on Saturday, and the German manager was full of praise for the Senegalese after the game.
"He (Mendy) was very strong throughout the whole match. We managed to keep a lot of pressure away from him during the first 60-65 minutes, but they were still there" said Tuchel.
"They were always dangerous on set pieces; they put a lot of free-kicks, corners, free-kicks into your box; so it’s a constant threat, and he was very strong and very concentrated also in our build-up play, a very good performance," continued Tuchel.
Burnley want Ross Barkley on loan in January
Burnley are plotting a loan deal for Ross Barkley in January, according to The Sun. The Englishman has dropped down the pecking order at Chelsea, and is not a part of Thomas Tuchel's plans for the season. The Blues are looking to offload Barkley on loan, and the Clarets are interested in his services.
Burnley have a long-standing interest in the Englishman, and have previously failed in an attempt to secure his services. Sean Dyche believes the Chelsea man could add more bite to their attack.
