Man Utd beaten to Antonio Rudiger as Real Madrid 'reach agreement' after transfer U-turn

Real Madrid have reportedly beaten Manchester United to Antonio Rudiger's signature this summer as the Chelsea defender gets set to leave Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel confirmed after his side's 1-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday afternoon that Rudiger is expected to depart the Blues when his contract runs out at the end of the season. It was understood that the two parties were in negotiations over a new deal but they were unable to reach an agreement.

Now, ESPN have revealed that Rudiger has agreed to sign a four-year deal at Los Blancos on a free transfer. The report added that the club and the German international's representatives are still working on finalising the deal.

This comes after Man Utd had supposedly expressed an interest in the 29-year-old following the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the Red Devils' new boss. However, it seems as though Rudiger's long-term future lies in Madrid.

Rudiger has become a vitally important player for Tuchel's side in the past year, helping them to win the Champions League last season and reach the FA Cup final last season. He has continued his form into this campaign and has been an almost ever-present in the Chelsea team, making 47 appearances across all competitions.

Having scored in the quarter-final second-leg against Real Madrid for Chelsea earlier in the month, Carlo Ancelotti's side began working on an agreement for the centre-back after that game and the source said the deal could now be sealed "in record time."

Meanwhile, Chelsea offered Rudiger a £230,000-a-week contract, a significant improvement on his current wages - believed to be £100,000-a-week. This was the Blues' third offer. They were unable to make a fourth due to their owner's situation.

Ro