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Chelsea midfielder Jorginho insists the club will miss Antonio Rudiger once the defender leaves at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old has been a hugely influential member of the Blues dressing room since his arrival from Roma in 2017. He has made 196 appearances for the club and has also contributed with 12 goals and seven assists.
However, Thomas Tuchel confirmed in an interview with Sky Sports on Sunday, 24 April, that the German international will leave Stamford Bridge this summer. Rudiger's contract with the Blues expires this summer and negotiations for a new contract have failed. This is despite the German being offered over £200,000 per week to stay in West London, according to The Metro.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Rudiger is set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Jorginho admits he will miss his "good friend". The Chelsea midfielder told Sky Sports:
"He’s been here a long time so if he leaves we are going to miss him. We’ve had amazing times here, he’s a good friend of mine so if he leaves, not just me but everyone at the club will miss him."
When asked what he will most about Rudiger, Jorginho replied:
"The craziness! He makes me laugh a lot and all his jokes and laughs. That’s the nice part."
Chelsea face difficult task replacing Rudiger
Since Thomas Tuchel's arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2021, Rudiger has emerged as the Blues' first-choice centre-back. He has started in the majority of his 47 appearances for the club across the current campaign.
Sky Sports reports that Chelsea have conceded twice as many goals per goal without him in the team (1.4) than they did with him playing (0.7).
The Germany international was a key member of the side that won the West London club's second Champions League title last season. He also played in the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup victories later this year.
Despite the well-publicized ownership issues Chelsea have faced in the past few months, Tuchel will be happy with how his squad have played this season. They look almost certain to finish third in the Premier League. They are five points above fourth-placed Arsenal with a game in hand. They also have the FA Cup final against Liverpool on 14 May.
However, with the takeover of the club still not resolved, they appear to be in limbo in regards to the players. The sanctions put in by the UK government mean that the Blues cannot sign new players or extend the contracts of the current ones.
With Rudiger on the way out, Tuchel will be desperate to secure the futures of current teammates and fellow defenders Andreas Christiensen and Cesar Azpilicueta. Both of them are also out of contract this summer.
