Chelsea announce four players to depart Stamford Bridge in addition to Antonio Rudiger

Chelsea have announced four players in addition to Antonio Rudiger will depart the club at the end of their contract after the Blues submitted their list of released players to the Premier League. Andreas Christensen, Danny Drinkwater, Jake Clarke-Salter and Charly Musonda will also depart the club.

Christensen had been widely expected to depart the club after no progress agreeing a new deal over the course of the season, while Drinkwater and Musonda had already announced that they would be departing Stamford Bridge. Clarke-Salter spent the season on loan at Coventry City and will now look for a new club.

Denmark international Christensen arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012 from Danish side Brondby and spent two years in the club’s academy before earning first-team minutes under Jose Mourinho during the 2014/15 campaign. He then moved to Borussia Monchengladbach on a two-season loan in which he established himself as one of the most promising centre-backs in Europe.

The Cobham product then returned to Chelsea in the summer of 2017 and was integrated into the first-team squad by Antonio Conte. Christensen went on to make 161 appearances for the Blues under five different head coaches, the last of which was Thomas Tuchel.

It was during the first six months of Tuchel’s tenure that Christensen blossomed into the defender many expected when he arrived at Chelsea. Used on the right or in the middle of a back three, he was a composed figure and showcased he was able to handle the most-physical forwards in the Premier League.

He didn’t start the 2021 Champions League final, however, with Thiago Silva was preferred. But in the first half, the Brazilian suffered an injury and Christensen was introduced. He produced a