Chelsea: £29m star 'testing the market', now tipped for Stamford Bridge exit

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger remaining at Stamford Bridge beyond this season would be surprising, says Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

The Germany international is out of contract in the summer, and Brown is expecting him to leave as he continues to be linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Chelsea are unable to hand Rudiger a new contract in this moment of time due to the sanctions placed on owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government.

It has given the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus a good chance to strike, with the Blues unable to do anything in their paralysed state.

According to reports from Spain, all three of the aforementioned clubs are interested in signing Rudiger, which hardly comes as a surprise.

The 29-year-old has been performing exceptionally since Thomas Tuchel’s arrival at Stamford Bridge last year, with the Chelsea boss recently hailing his defensive rock.

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“Toni was outstanding. It was a world-class performance in all belongings. It is what he does on an extremely high level,” Tuchel told football.london and other outlets last week after the second leg of Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid.

There is no doubt that Tuchel will be desperate to keep hold of Rudiger this summer; however, Brown fears the former Paris Saint-Germain manager is now facing mission impossible with that task.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Daily Star reporter said: “By the time Chelsea get to really sit down with him and make him an offer, he might already have a better one from somebody else. And I think if Rudiger had really wanted to stay, he would have signed a contract already by now.

“He’s clearly out