Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger says he’s ‘happy’ Thomas Tuchel wants him to sign a new contract but will wait until the European Championships are over before discussing an extension.
Rudiger looked certain to leave Stamford Bridge after dropping down the pecking order under Lampard – with Tottenham and PSG heavily linked – but he has since established himself as a key player of Tuchel’s defence.
However, there is still uncertainty over Rudiger’s future given he has just one year left on his current contract and Chelsea risk losing the Germany international on a free transfer at the end of next campaign.
Tuchel was full of praise for Rudiger when asked about the player’s contribution this month and stressed that the defender has his ‘full support’ if he wishes to commit his future to Chelsea.
‘Nothing is better than what he is doing for a new contract,’ Tuchel told reporters when quizzed about the Germany international’s contract situation.
‘If he wants to have a new contract he has our full support to stay at the club. ‘He is speaking with his performances. He has been amazing since day one.’
Reacting to Tuchel’s recent comments, Rudiger told German publication Kicker: ‘That’s nice and I’m happy too.
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‘You always make your decisions to some extent dependent on the coaching staff but in the long term you can never rely on them anyway. ‘After the European Championships, we can talk.’
Rudiger believes Chelsea players must be ‘willing to suffer’ to have any chance of beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in this month’s all-English UEFA Champions League final.
‘City will have the ball more often than we do, we know that,’ the Roma centre-half added. ‘But in the back row there are more or less direct duels. Every defender should have the courage to play one-on-one duels.
‘Sure, Ilkay [Gundogan], [Phil] Foden, [Riyad] Mahrez, [Kevin] De Bruyne – you can’t give them all a lot of space.
‘If we don’t get high into midfield pressing and play the balls to the top, then you have to work hard and, above all, be willing to suffer.’
Meanwhile, Rudiger hopes to give Joachim Low ‘the best possible farewell’ by helping the Germany national team to European glory this summer.
‘We actually have a very special relationship with each other,’ Rudiger went on. ‘It’s on a human level and I want to give him the best possible farewell.’
