Manchester United have secret weapon to exploit Chelsea crisis and seal Antonio Rudiger transfer

Antonio Rudiger is of interest to Manchester United, but they will face stiff competition for the German defender this summer.

Rudiger’s contract expires at the end of the season and given Chelsea’s current predicament, it’s highly unlikely that Rudiger will sign an extension.

This was even the case long before Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club, only for the UK government to impose sanctions on the Blues' Russian owner.

Rudiger’s wage demands are said to be extremely high, with it being reported that the player knows he could receive an offer from either Real Madrid or PSG worth around £400,000-per-week.

Chelsea reportedly offered Rudiger an extension last summer that was promptly rejected by the 29-year-old, who felt he was worth a lot more.

With his departure from the increasingly rudderless Blues looking even likelier now, United, along with Real Madrid, PSG and Juventus, are keen on signing Rudiger as a free agent this summer. MEN Sport have previously reported on the club's interest in the player.

United would not be expected to offer the same level of wages that PSG and Madrid would inevitably put on the table but they do have an ace up their sleeve in Ralf Rangnick.

According to Spanish outlet Marca, Rangnick is on very good terms with Rudiger’s agent and this could be key in United getting a march on their competition for Rudiger.

Would Rudiger be a worthy investment for United, however, given his age?

Despite edging closer to the 30-mark, Rudiger would be an instant upgrade on what United have defensively at present. Harry Maguire has struggled all season with the responsibility of being in charge of the United backline. Rudiger could take over this role and allow Maguire to revert to just being a