Juventus keen on signing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger this summer

Juventus are interested in signing Antonio Rudiger and are monitoring the defender's situation at Chelsea, according to reports.

Rudiger's contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire this summer, and the Blues cannot currently extend his deal due to sanctions placed on their owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government and the European Union.

This has left the door open for Juventus, with the Serie A side emerging as a serious option for the German international as they keep a close eye on how things play out at the west London club, as reported by Goal.

It has been claimed that the player himself would like to stay at Chelsea, having represented the club since 2017.

He had agreed to remain with Thomas Tuchel's team, in a deal that would have seen him earn close to £200,000-per-week, prior to restrictions being placed on Abramovich, but he did not officially sign on the dotted line. 

Rudiger will only get the chance to restart negotiations with his employers once the change of ownership has gone through.

Interested parties had to put their bids in for the club by Friday, and the Premier League will now have to give their approval to prospective buyers.

However, it could still be some time before the ownership situation is resolved as it is understood that Abramovich does not want to accept offers from British or US buyers due to the restrictions they have placed on Russian oligarchs.

Meanwhile, the UK government is uncomfortable with the idea of a Saudi consortium taking control of the Premier League outfit. 

The option of committing his future to the Blues has been taken out of Rudiger's hands for now.

He does not have a lack of alternative clubs, though, as Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich are also believed to be