Chelsea star holds talks with PSG after demanding £220,000-per-week to pen contract extension: Reports

Representatives of Chelsea contract rebel Antonio Rudiger have held talks with French giants PSG regarding a free transfer deal in the summer, as per a report from Express.

The German international looks destined to leave Chelsea in the summer with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. PSG are believed to be huge admirers of the German defender. Rudiger's agent has also reportedly met Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo regarding a summer switch to Parc des Princes.

Chelsea are determined not to lose their star defender on a free transfer. However, contract talks between the club and the player have not been fruitful thus far.

Rudiger is currently on a wage package that earns him £100,000 a week. He is said to be looking for an upgrade to at least £220,000 a week in order to stay at Stamford Bridge. However, the Blues are only willing to offer him around £135,000 per week and there is very little chance that the two parties will come to a compromise.

PSG are not the only admirers of the former Roma star. Real Madrid and Juventus are also said to be chasing the 28-year-old on a free transfer. Rudiger is currently allowed to negotiate a pre-contract with clubs outside England as his future looks away from West London.

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Can Chelsea cope without Rudiger?

Rudiger has been at Stamford Bridge since 2017 and had a mixed spell at the club until the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in 2021. The German defender has managed to improve his game by leaps and bounds under his compatriot.

Tuchel has mostly deployed a three at the back system, bringing the best out of the 28-year-old. It would certainly be a massive blow for Chelsea to lose their key defender especially when Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta also look likely to leave.

Both Christensen and Azpilicueta's contracts expire in June and the West London club are struggling to convince them to sign new deals. Azpilicueta has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona while Christensen is reportedly being pursued by Borussia Dortmund.

Tuchel has a major rebuilding job to do in the summer with his defence needing reinforcements while his attackers continue to struggle for goals.

Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule has been a player strongly linked with a free transfer to Stamford Bridge in the summer. However, the Blues are set to face competition for his signature from the likes of Barcelona and Juventus.