Thomas Tuchel CONFIRMS Antonio Rudiger will depart Chelsea on free transfer after Blues ‘did everything’ to keep him
THOMAS TUCHEL admits he is losing a ‘big leader’ with Antonio Rudiger’s departure from Chelsea.
Boss Tuchel confirmed his defender will be leaving at the end of the season on a free — with Real Madrid favourites to land the German.
Tuchel insists he and the Blues tried everything to persuade Rudiger to stay but failed.
He said: “Toni’s a big personality, a big leader and he takes fear away from other people, he gives you confidence when he’s next to you.
“It will be challenging but like always, no matter how much I love Toni and how big a role he played, there will be Chelsea without Toni Rudiger and we will find solutions.
“We fought hard, I fought hard on a personal level but we have this kind of connection since day one and he deserves my full support because he delivered incredible performances until today. So reliable.”
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Chelsea offered Rudiger a contract worth more than £200,000-a-week but he is opting to leave after five years in which he has become the bedrock of the defence.
Government sanctions imposed on the club made it difficult to find more cash to keep him.
Rudiger is currently sidelined with groin and leg injuries but Tuchel has no hesitation playing him for the rest of the season – despite him leaving.
Tuchel said: “We had big offers for him and the club tried everything but since some weeks we cannot fight anymore because we have the sanctions, we cannot adjust, we cannot continue so it is what it is.”
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Tuchel says Rudiger leaving underlines the need to get a takeover for Chelsea completed as soon as possible to get finances flowing again.
He said: “It would be ideal but even if we wish if for it, you cannot pull grass so that it grows faster.
“We wish for it, we have to deal with the reality and at the moment the sanctions are still in place, the situation is not clear for next season.
“We will try like we did for the last weeks to focus on what we can influence and this will be the next match.”