newsnow_abanimated

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has revealed he held talks with Tottenham about a potential move across London last summer.

Rudiger has been in and out of the Chelsea team over the last couple of seasons, leading to speculation about his future which intensified last year.

And the German, who is set to start in the Champions League final against Manchester City on Saturday, has now spoken about how close he came to leaving.

Speaking to German outlet Kicker (as relayed by Sport Witness), Rudiger revealed there was interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Spurs.

He said: “I was really about to leave. It was the start of a season with a European Championship at the end, and then I felt it was my duty, towards DFB (the German national team), to look for alternatives so that I got enough playing time.

“PSG and [their manager at the time] Thomas Tuchel were the most serious option. I also had contact with Tottenham Hotspur and Jose Mourinho, whom I really appreciate as a coach. In the end, that was out of the question. In the end, with other options, I ran out of time to clarify all the details.”

Joe Rodon ended up being the centre-back Tottenham signed last summer. Jose Mourinho often rotated the Welshman with Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez.

But there is no doubting Spurs could have done with signing another senior centre-back to strengthen the defence last summer.

Whether Rudiger would have been a good signing is up for debate. He has been inconsistent for Chelsea, though he is currently playing a starring role.

At any rate, a centre-back must be a priority position for Tottenham in this summer’s transfer window.

SHARE

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.