Rudiger gone, Kounde signed: 3 ways Thomas Tuchel could set up his Chelsea defence next season

It was after Chelsea's victory over West Ham United that Thomas Tuchel confirmed what many supporters already feared given news had emerged the previous day: Antonio Rudiger had decided to leave the club at the end of his contract. It was a bitter blow for the Blues.

Tuchel has harnassed Rudiger's natural aggression and defensive instincts over the past 18 months, and the German has blossomed into one of Europe's finest centre-backs as a result. It's why he appears set to join Real Madrid in the summer, with the La Liga giants set to offer him a lucrative four-year deal.

It will not be easy to replace Rudiger, something Tuchel accepted during his post-match press conference on Sunday. "It will be incredibly difficult. Toni is what he is – a big personality, a big leader, he takes the fear away from other people, gives you confidence when he is next to you and has played 50-60 matches over 90 minutes with incredible consistency.

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"So it will be challenging, but like always, no matter how much I love Toni and how big a role he played, there will be Chelsea without Toni Rudiger. We will find solutions."

The problem that Chelsea face, however, is that